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I 


THE HUMAN SKELETON. 


Bones of the Head, Trunk, Legs and 
Arms (Fig. I). 

1. Frontal bone. 

2. Parietal bone. 

3. Temporal bone. 

4. Coronal suture. 

5. Malar or cheek bone. 

6. Nasal bones. 

7. Superior maxillary, maxilla, or upper 

jawbone. 

8. Orbits. 

9. Side of occipital bone. 

10. Condyloid process of mandible or lower 
jaw. 

1 1. Angle of mandible. 

12. Symphysis of mandible. 

13. Four lower cervical vertebrae (7 in all). 

14. Two upper and two lower dorsal verte¬ 

brae (12 in all). 

15. Lumbar vertebrae (5 in number). 

16. Sacrum. 

1 7. Coccyx, the lower part hid¬ 
den by the pubic bones, 

1 8. Cartilages of ribs. 

19. Ribs. 

20. Manubrium of sternum or breast bone. 

21. Mesosternum, or body of sternum. 

22. Xiphisternum, metasternum, or ensi- 

form process of sternum. 

23. Clavicles, or collar bones. 

24. Coracoid process of scapula (shoulder 

blade). 

25. Acromion process of scapula. 

26. Subscapular fossa, anterior surface. 

27. Head of humerus or arm bone. 

28. Body of humerus. 

29. Condyles of humerus. 

30. Head of radius or outer bone of forearm. 

31. Body of radius. 

32. Ulna, or inner bone of forearm. 

33. Carpal ends of radius and ulna. 

34. Internal iliac fossa. 

35. Anterior superior process of ilium. 

36. Anterior inferior process of ilium. 

37. Pubic symphysis. 

38. Tuberosity of ischium. 

39. Brim of pelvis. 

40. Obturator foramen. 

41. Head of femur or thigh bone. 

42. Neck of femur. 

43. Great trochanter of femur. 


44. 

Shaft of femur. 


45. 

Condyles of femur. 


46. 

Patella, or kneepan. 


47. 

Head of tibia or thick bone 
and inner side of leg. 

on anterior 

48. 

Shaft of tibia. 


49. 

Lower extremity of tibia. 


50. 

Fibula, or thin bone on external side of 
leg. 

View of Palmar Surface 

of Right 


Hand and Wrist (Fig. 2). 

1- 8. Bones of the carpus, or wrist:— 

1. Scaphoid. 

2. Semilunar. 

3. Cuneiform. 

4. Pisiform. 

5. Trapezium. 

6. Trapezoid. 

7. Magnum. 

8. Unciform. 

9. Metacarpal bones of thumb and fingers. 

10. First row of phalanges of thumb and 
fingers. 

1 1. Second row of phalanges of fingers. 

12. Third, or ungual, row of phalanges of 
fingers, and second, or ungual, pha¬ 
lanx of thumb. 

Front View of Right Foot (Fig. 3). 

1,3,5,7-10. Bones of the tarsus :— 

1. Superior articulated surface of 
astragalus. 

2. Anterior portion of astragalus. 

3. Calcaneum, or heel bone. 

4. Commencement of groove of in¬ 
terosseous ligament. 

5. Scaphoid, 

6. Tuberosity of scaphoid. 

7. Internal cuneiform. 

8. Middle cuneiform. 

9. External cuneiform. 

10. Cuboid. 

1 1. Metatarsal bones. 

12. First row of phalanges of toes. 

13. Second row of phalanges of four outer 

toes. 

14. Third, or ungual, row of phalanges of 

four outer toes, and second, or un¬ 
gual, phalanx of great to§. 


! 


False 

Vertebras. 





















MUSCLES OF THE HUMAN BODY 


Side View of Full Figure (Fig. 1). 

1. Occipito-frontalis—Used to raise the eye¬ 

brows, wrinkle the skin of the forehead, and 
move the scalp backward and forward. 

2. Temporalis Helps to elevate the lower jaw. 

3. Orbicularis palpebrarum—Closes the eyelids. 

4. Masseter—Helps to elevate the lower jaw, 

and move it forward. 

5. Sterno cleido-mestoideus—A pair of muscles 

which together bow the head forward; one 
acting by itself is able to turn the head, and 
therefore the chin, to the opposite side. 

6. Trapezius—The trapezii muscles, acting to¬ 

gether, draw the head directly backward; 
one of them,'acting alone, inclines the head 
to the corresponding side; the superior part 
of the trapezius raises the point of the 
shoulder. 

7. Platysma myoides—Assists in depressing 

the. angle of the mouth. 

8. Deltoides—Raises the arm, and aids in car¬ 

rying it backward and forward. 

9. Biceps flexor cubiti 1 —Act together in bend- 

10. Brachialis anticus ) the forearm. 

1 1. Triceps extensor cubiti—Antagonist of the 
two former; when the forearm is bent, the 
triceps, by drawing in the extremety of the 
ulna, is abie to extend it on the humerus, 
and thus bring both parts of the limb into a 
right line. 

12. Supinator longus—A flexor of the forearm. 

1 3. Extensor muscles of thumb. 

1 4. Extensor muscles of wrist. 

15. Pectoralis major) —Conjointly with teres 
1 6. Latissimus dorsi j major (situate at the in¬ 
ferior and posterior part of the shoulder) 
these muscles lower the arm when it has 
been elevated, press the arm closely to the 
side, and pectoralis major will by itself car¬ 
ry the arm along the side and- front of the 
chest. 

1 7. Serratus magnus—Assists in advancing the 
scapula and elevating the shoulder. 

18. Obliquus externus abdominis ) —Co-oper- 

1 9. Rectus abdominis, in its sheathe f ate with 

the other abdominal muscles in supporting 
the abdominal viscera. 

20. Glutasus medius j —The glutasi act alter- 

2 1. Glutasus maximus j nately on the thigh bone 

and pelvis: 2 1, by the direction of its fibers, 
is fitted to draw the thigh bone backward, 
whilst it turns the whole limb outward if it 
be kept extended. 

22. Tensor vaginas femoris—Renders the fascia 

tense, and turns the limb inward. 

23. Vastus externus—Contributes to extend the 

leg upon the thigh. 

24. Biceps flexor cruris—Assists in bending the 

leg on the thigh, and in turning the limb 
slightly inward and outward. 

25. Gastrocnemius—Along with the soleus this 

muscle forms the calf of the leg; they joint¬ 
ly draw on the heel bone, lifting it from the 
ground, and cause the foot to represent an 
inclined plane. 

26. Tibialis anticus—Co-operates with 31 in 

bending the foot on the leg; acting sepa¬ 
rately, each gives a slight inclination to¬ 
ward the corresponding side. 

27. Extensor longus digitorum—Aids in extend¬ 

ing the toes, and in bending the foot upon 
the leg. 

28. Soleus—See 25. 

29. Peronasus longus ) —Act together in drawing 
39- Peronasus brevis j the foot back. 


31. Peronaeus tertius—A flexor of the foot on the 

leg, co-operating with 26. 

32. Abductor minimi digiti—Bends the little toe, 

and separates it from the others. 

33. Extensor proprius pollicis—Extensor of the 

great toe. 

34. Flexor longus digitorum—Bends the toes to¬ 

ward the sole of the foot. 

35. Tendo Achillis—Formed by junction of ten¬ 

dinous expansions of 25 and 26; the stron¬ 
gest tendon in the body. 

Front View of Right Leg (Fig, 2). 

1. Glutasus medius—See 20 of first section. 

2. Tensor vaginas femoris—See 22 of frst sec¬ 

tion. 

3. Psoas and iliacus—Bend the thigh on the 

pelvis, and rotate the limb outward. 

4. Pectineus—Contributes to bend the thigh 

bone on the pelvis. 

5. Adductor longus—One of the adductors of the 

thigh. 

6. Sartorius—Bends the leg upon the thigh; it 

is known as “the tailor’s muscle.” 

7. Gracilis Acts along with adductor muscles 

of thigh. 

8. Rectus femoris ) —Extend the leg upon the 

9. Vastus externus > thigh; the rectus and sar- 

10. Vastus internus) torius ( 6 ) help to main¬ 
tain the erect position of the body. 

1 1. Biceps flexor cruris—See 24 of first section. 
12. Insertion of ligament of patella into tibia. 

1 3. Tibialis anticus—See 26 of first section 

14. Extensor longus digitorum—See 2 7 of first 

section. 

15. Peronasus longus—See 20 of first section. 

1 6. Gastrocnemius—See 25 of first section. 

1 7. Solasus—See 28 of first section. 

18. Peronasus brevis—See 30 of first section. 

Front View of Right Arm (Fig. 3). 

1. Deltoides—See 8 of first section. 

2. Pectoralis major See 1 5 of first section. 

3. Coraco brachialis—Smallest muscle of- upper 

arm; assists in moving the arm forward 
and upward. 

4. Biceps fiexor cubiti—See 9 of first section. 

5. Brachialis internus—Part of brachialis anti- 

cus; see 10 of first section. 

6. Triceps extensor cubiti—See 11 of first sec¬ 

tion. 

7. Pronator radii teres—Turns the palm of the 

hand downward, and aids in bending the 
forearm on the arm. 

8. Supinator radii longus—Acts as antagonist to 

pronator of the hand (7), turning the palm 
upward; it is also a flexor of the forearm. 

9. Flexor carpi radialis Bends the wrist, and 

becomes a flexor of the forearm. 

10. Palmaris longus, with fascia—Bends the hand 
i i upon the forearm, and aids in its pronation. 

11. rlexor profundus digitorum—Bends the fin¬ 

gers toward the palm, acts on the wrist, 
and assists in bending the arm. 

12. Flexor carpi ulnaris—Bends the wrist, and 

becomes the flexor of the forearm. 

13. Abductor pollicis manus—Carries the thumb 

outward and forward from the palm 

14. Flexor brevis pollicis—Flexor of the first 

joint of thumb. 

15. Palmaris brevis—A small cutaneous muscle 

connected with the muscles of the little 
finger. 








"32 















































THE ARTERIAL SYSTEM. 


a Temporal artery. 
b Carotid artery. 
c Vertebral artery. 
d e Subclavian artery. 
f Aorta, or great artery. 
g Axillary artery. 
h Brachial artery. 
i Celiac artery. 


j Renal artery. 
k Iliac artery. 

/ Femoral artery. 
m Posterior tibial artery. 
n Anterior tibial artery. 
o Peroneal artery. 
p Pedal artery. • 






























the 


Practical Embalmer 


A COMMON-SENSE TREATISE 

ON 

The Art and Science of Embalming 


WITH AN APPENDIX 

OF 

FOUR HUNDRED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON 
ANATOMY, EMBALMING AND 
SANITARY SCIENCE. 


A. JOHNSON DODGE 

Lecturer and Demonstrator of the Massachusetts College 

of Embalming, Boston, Mass* 


1900 


THE LIBRARY OF 
CONGRESS, 
Two Copies Received 

APR. 17 1901 

Copyright entry 

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Copyright, 1900, 

By A. JOHNSON DODGE. 


All rights reserved 


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TO THE THOUSANDS OF PUPILS 
THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES WHO 
HAVE SO KINDLY FAVORED ME WITH THEIR PATRONAGE, 
MANY OF THEM GENEROUSLY SUBSCRIBING FOR 
MY BOOK BEFORE PUBLICATION, AND 
ALL OF WHOM I SHALL EVER 
BE PLEASED TO MEET, 

I DEDICATE THIS 
WORK. 



Preface. 


Knowledge Necessary for Successful Embalming* 

In order to practice his profession intelligently and suc¬ 
cessfully, there is a certain amount of knowledge that the 
embalmer should and must possess. He need not be an edu¬ 
cated man, as far as book or general knowledge is concerned, 
but he should be possessed of a certain amount of knowledge 
of the anatomy and physiology of the human body, particu¬ 
larly those parts pertaining to embalming. He should have a 
good general knowledge of the vascular system, a knowledge 
of visceral anatomy, and be acquainted with the formation of 
the general and serous cavities; be able to raise and inject arte¬ 
ries with ease and with very little mutilaJtion; understand the 
modern methods of doing cavity work, be somewhat ac¬ 
quainted with the morbid condition of bodies dying of certain 
diseases, and understand all the expedients that are resorted to 
by the up-to-date embalmer in overcoming the various obsta¬ 
cles to be met with in the practice of his profession. In addi¬ 
tion to this, he must have a knowledge of hygienic and 
sanitary laws, a knowledge of germicides, and be able to 
protect the living as well as to care for the dead. 
To this end embalming schools have been instituted, 
and books written, and to insure the public against 
ignorance, laws are being passed in many states to 
compel the undertaker to prove his ability in these 
directions or get out of the profession, and make way for wiser 



VI 


PREFACE. 


and better men, who are always waiting eagerly and anxiously 
to take the place of the slow and unprogressive element who 
are found bringing up the rear of all trades and professions. 
To this end I have written this book, and I trust the under¬ 
takers of America, who shall honor us by its purchase, will 
find in it the knowledge necessary to the successful pursuit of 
their calling. If so, I shall be well repaid for the time and 
labor expended in writing it. 


A. JOHNSON DODGE. 


Introduction. 


In offering this work to the embalmers of America, I feel 
that perhaps some explanation is necessary, as several books on 
the art and science of embalming have already been written and 
published. But, since I have been the Lecturer and Demonstra¬ 
tor of the Massachusetts College of Embalming for the past five 
years, during which time I have taught this science to more than 
three thousand students (nearly one-sixth of all the embalmers 
of America), and as I have had hundreds of applications, not 
only from them but from the pupils of other schools, for a plain 
common-sense book containing my ideas and methods of em¬ 
balming, as set forth in my lectures, I concluded to gratify their 
wishes by writing this book. 

I am satisfied that neither a four days’ nor a two weeks’ 
school is sufficient to qualify an embalmer to successfully meet 
all the various difficulties liable to arise in the practice of his pro¬ 
fession ; but I feel certain that, after listening to the lectures and 
witnessing the demonstrations, if provided with a work which 
plainly sets forth everything necessary for him to know without 
burdening his mind with unnecessary matter, either in anatomy, 
chemistry or in pathological descriptions, he can qualify himself 
for all the duties that await him in the pursuit of hlis chosen 
calling. 

In writing this book, I have endeavored to confine myself 
strictly to those subjects pertaining to the art and science of em¬ 
balming. Instead of trying to see how much I could make of 
the subject, I have used my best endeavors to put the essentials 



Vlll 


INTRODUCTION. 


into as small a space as possible, leaving out all matter which 
might have a tendency to burden or confuse the mind of the 
reader. I have had no assistance whatever in preparing the 
matter for this work, neither have I consulted or in any way pat¬ 
terned after the works of other authors. I have prepared most 
of the matter herein contained while conducting my classes, 
hence it may lack the polish that a more extended and thought¬ 
ful consideration might have given it. 

Though its mistakes may be many, I trust the reader will 
find in it all that is necessary to enable him to achieve success in 
his work. 

Thanking the hundreds of my pupils who have generously 
subscribed for this work in advance of its publication, and who 
have so patiently awaited its appearance, I remain, 

Fraternally yours, 

A. JOHNSON DODGE, 

Lecturer and Demonstrator, 
Mass. College of Embalming, Boston, Mass. 


I 


Contents. 


Description of the Human Skeleton 


PAGE 

Preceding title 


Description of the Muscles of the Body. 

Description of the Arterial System . 

Dedication . 

Preface—Knowledge Necessary for Successful Embalming. 

Introduction . 

List of Colored Plates. 

List of Illustrations. 

Index . 

Chapter I.—Embalming—Past, Present and Future. 

Chapter II.—Anatomy of the Human Body. 

Chapter III.—Cavities and Viscera. 

Chapter IV.—The Vascular System. 

Chapter V.—The Blood . 

Chapter VI.—Arterial Embalming. 

Chapter VII.—Cavity Embalming. 

Chapter VIII.—Purging. 

Chapter IX.—Bacteriology. 

Chapter X.—Hygiene and Sanitation. 

Chapter XI.—Chemistry of the Body.. 

Chapter XII.—Morbid Condition and Special Treatment of Bodies 

where Death has resulted from Various Diseases.. 


< ( 


iii 

v 

vii 

xi 

xiii 

xv 

I 

7 

17 

33 

4 S 

62 

7 i 

83 

87 

100 

105 


111 


Chapter XIII.—Special Cases. 

Chapter XIV.—Apparent and Real Death . 
Chapter XV.—Transportation of the Dead. 

Chapter XVI—Quiz Compends. 

Funeral Etiquette. 

Dictionary of Anatomical Words and Phrases 


134 

148 

151 

I 5 6 

197 

213 






























Colored Plates. 


PAGE 

Plate i Superficial Dissection of the Thorax and Abdomen. 17 

Plate 2.—Arterial Supply to the Base of the Brain . 20 

Plate 3.—Relative Position of the Deeper Organs of the Thorax and 

those of the Abdomen. 27 

Plate 4.—Relation of the Principal Blood-vessels of the Thorax and 

Abdomen to the Osseous Skeleton, etc. 33 

Plate 5.— Deep Dissection of the Throat and Abdomen. 34 

Plate 6. —Dissection of the Axilla. ^5 

Plate 7.—Superficial and Deep Dissection of the Bend of the Elbow 

and Forearm. 38 

Plate 8. — Dissection of the Principal Blood-vessels and Nerves of the 

Iliac and Femoral Regions. 4! 

Plate 9. — (Fig. 1) Dissection of the Anterior Crural Region, the An¬ 
kle and the Foot. (Fig. 2) Dissection of Inner and 
Posterior Aspect of Ankle and Lower Third of Leg ... 42 

Plate 10. — Dissection of the Wrist and Hand. 62 

Plate ii.— Dissection of the Axillary and Brachial Regions . 65 

Plate 12. — Dissection of the Deep Cervical or Facial Regions. 69 

Pulmonary Circulation—Heart and Lungs . 33 





















List of Illustrations. 


PAGE 

Portrait of A. Johnson Dodge.Frontispiece 


The Human Skeleton. Preceding title 

The Muscles of the Human Body. “ “ 

The Arterial System.■ “ “ 

The Dodge Bottle Holder and Injector. 15 

Divisions of the Abdominal Cavity. 19 

Sinuses of the Dura Mater . 44 

Aspirating from the Right Auricle of the Heart. 58 

Internal Jugular Vein and Carotid Artery raised by the Transverse 

Incision. 60 

Transverse Incision Closed. 61 

Injecting the Radial Artery . 63 

Raising the Brachial Artery in the Middle Third. 66 

Injecting the Brachial Artery. 67 

Injecting the Lungs through the Trachea. 73 

Injecting the Right Pleural Cavity through the same aperture made for 

Filling the Lungs... 74 

The Barnes Needle Process. 7 8 

Injection by the Dodge Nasal Process . So 

Removing Gases from the Stomach . 84 

Removing Water from the Pelvic Cavity . 112 

Removing Serous Fluid from Pleural Cavities through aperture made 

for Tapping the Heart. TI 4 

Hypodermic Injection of Fluid between the Skin and Areolar Tissue.. 144 

























Index. 


PAGE 

ABDOMINAL CAVITY, descrip¬ 


tion of. 19 

Capacity of. 19 

Regions of. 19 

Viscera of.24-30 

Abdominal Aorta. 34 

Branches.39-42 

Alcoholism. 119 

Treatment of. 120 

Alimentary Canal, description of-27-30 

Anatomy of Human Body.7—47 

Aneurism.121-122 

Antisep'tics. 103 

Arteries, description of.33-42 

Aorta..33, 34 

Arch of . 34 

Ascending. 34 

Descending. 34 

Divisions of .> 34 

Branches of.34-39 

Bronchial . 39 

Coronary. 39 

Intercostal. 39 

CEsophageal. 39 

Coeliac Axis. 39 

Gastric. 39 

Hepatic. 39 

Splenic. 39 

Phrenic. 4 ° 

Renal. 4 ° 

Mesenteric . 4 ° 

Spermatic . 4 ° 

Lumbar. 4 ° 

Supra-Renal . 4 ° 

Innominate . 34 


PAGE 

Common Carotid, where lo¬ 


cated . 34-35 

How to raise.67-68 

Linear guide to. 67 

Anatomical guide . 67 

Divisions of . 35 

Internal Carotid. 35 

External Carotid .... 35 

Organs supplied by ..... 35 

Vertebral. 35 

Subclavian . 36 

Axillary . 36 

Brachial. 36 

Branches of . 37 

Linear guide to. 63 

Anatomical guide . 63 

Abnormal condition of . . 66 

How to raise and inject. .63-66 

Radial, where located. 38 

Description of . 38 

Linear guide to . 62 

Anatomical guide. 62 

How to raise and inject .. 62 

Ulnar .16, 38 

Palmar Arch .38-39 

Where located . 168 

How formed. 168 

Common Iliac. 41 

Internal Iliac. 41 

External Iliac. 41 

Femoral. 41 

Linear guide to. 68 

Anatomical guide. 69 

How to raise and inject .69-70 

Popliteal. 41 


































































xvi 


INDEX. 


PAGE 

Anterior Tibial. 41 

Posterior Tibial.41-42 

Internal Plantar. 42 

External Plantar . 42 

Arterial Embalming .62-70 


By use of Radial Artery 62-63 


“ “ Brachial “ 63-66 

“ “ Carotid “ 67-68 

“ “ Femoral “ 68-70 

Arteritis.12 2-124 

Auriculo Ventricular Orifice. 22 

Asiatic Cholera. 93 

Ascending Colon. 29 

Asphyxiation. 136 

Auricles, Right and Left.21-22 

g ACTERIOLOGY.87-90 

Its relation to Contagious Dis¬ 
eases .90-99 

Its relation to Putrefaction . . . 108 

Bladder, Gall.26-27 

Urinary. 31 

Location . 3T 

Capacity of. 31 

Blood, Circulation of.51-54 

Composition of. 48 

Coagulation of. 49 

How to liquify. 49 

Quantity of in Human Body 50 

Different kinds of.50—51 

How to remove.56—57 


From the Right Auricle . . 58 

“ Bacilic Vein . .58-59 

“ Internal Jugular 60 

“ Femoral Vein • 60-61 


Poisoning. 103 

Bones, Number of in Human Body 7 

Formation of. 7 

Distribution of. 8-9 

Brain, Description of.20-21 

Weight of. 21 

Burial, Premature.14S-150 

£/ECUM . 29 

Cancers.140-141 

Canal, Alimentary.27-30 


PAOE 

Capillaries. 42 

Cartilage, Change in. 7-8 

Carbolic Acid Disinfectant.•• 101 

Carbon Dioxide. 107 

Cavity of the Cranium . 18 

Thorax. 17 

Abdomen . 19 

Pelvis . 19 

Cavities, Serous . 18 

Pleural. 18 

Pericardium .18-19 

Peritoneal. 30 

Cerebellum. 20 

Cerebral Hemorrhage. 132 

Softening .132-133 

Cerebrium. 20 

Chemistry of Body.105-1 10 

Child in Womb.138-140 

Cholera . 93 

Treatment of bodies dead 

of . 93-94 

Circulation of Blood. 51 

Lesser or Pulmonary . . 53 

Systemic. 52 

Portal. 53 

Foetal .53-54 

Colon, Ascending . 29 

Descending. 29 

Transverse. 29 

Consumption. 125 

Bacteria of.90- 92 

Treatment of. 126 

Contagious Diseases.-. . .87-104 

gEATH, Apparent and Real .... 148 

Signs of. 148 

Tests of ..149-150 

Deodorant, Defiinition of. 103 

Deodorizers . 103 

Diaphragm, Description of. 12 

Diphtheria, Description of. 96 

Treatment of Bodies dead of 97-98 

Discolorations, Cause of. 61 

Removal of. 61 

Disinfectants. 102 

Disinfection of Bodies. 87, 99 













































































INDEX. 


XVI 1 


PAGE 

Disinfection of Appartments. 102 

of Clothing and Bed¬ 
ding . 193 

Dropsy, Description of.111-112 

Treatment of Bodies 

dead of.112-116 

Removal of Water . . . . 112-116 
Drowning, Treatment of cases 136-138 

Ducts, Hepatic. 25 

Thoracic. 47 

gLECTRIC SHOCK. 134 

Embalming, Ancient. 1-3 

Modern . 3-6 

Arterial. 62-70 

Cavity .71—75 

Needle. 75 

Eye process.76-78 

Champion process. 79 
Barnes “ 78-79 

Dodge Nasal “ 79-82 

Epidermis, Slipping of.144-145 

Epigastric Region . 19 

Enlargement of the Liver and 

Spleen.124-125 

Ensiform Appendix.12, 83 

Erysipelas. 130 

Treatment of. 131 


pASCIA, Superficial and Deep. . . 13 


Fever, Typhoid. 92 

Bacteria of . 92 

Description of 116-117 
Treatment of ... 117 

Scarlet. 99 

Yellow. 94 

Probable cause of. 94 

Fermentation . 107 

Fibrine .48-49 

Fluid, amount to be used. 50 

Formaldehyde as a Preservative .56-114 
as a Disinfectant 101-102 

Gas . 102 

Funeral Etiquette, by Childs ..201-204 


f ‘ Gallagher , . 205 


PAGE 

Funeral Etiquette by Cate . . . .206-207 

“ Merritt .207-209 
“ Gleason. 209-210 
“ Thomas. 210-211 


QANGRENE.120-121 

Gases. 83 

Formation of. 109 

Removal of . 83 

|JAIR. 14 

Plardening Compounds. . .141-143 

Heart, Description of.21-22 

Location of. 21 

Weight of. 21 

Hydrocele. 115 

Hydrocephalus.115- 1 16 

Hydropericardium. 115 

Hygiene.100-104 

Hypochondriac Region, Right and 

Left. 19 

Hypogastric Region. 19 

[LEUM.12-68 

Ileo Csecal Valve. 29 

Intestines, Large. 29 

Small.28-30 

Infectious and Contagious Dis¬ 
eases . 87-89 

Inguinal Region, Right and Left . 19 

Inorganic Elements.105-no 

JEJUNUM. 28 

Jaundice, Yellow, Cause of . . . 127 

Treatment of 127 

KIDNEYS. 26 

gIVER, Description of .24-25 

Lobes of. 24 

Longitudinal Sinuses. 44 

Lumbar Regions, Right and Left. 19 

Lungs, Description of.23-24 

Lobes of.23-24 

Lymphatics 47 




























































XV111 


INDEX. 


PAGE 


PAGE 


]y\EDULLA OBLONGATA. 20 

Membranes, Arachnoid. 20 

Serous.18-19, 30 

Mercury, Bichloride of.101-102 

Microbes. 87 

Molecules. 103 

Morbid Conditions . hi 

Mouth. 27 

Muscles, Description of.9-12 

Mutilated Cases.143-144 

Myosin. 107 


N AILS . 15 

Nerve, Median.68-74 


Nervous System, Description of.. 15-16 


QJSOPHAGUS. 27 

Organic Chemistry. 105 

Organs of the Human Body.20-32 


PANCREAS. 27 

Pancreatic Juice. 27 

Pericardium, Cavity of.18-19 

Peritoneum, Description of . 30 

Peritonitis, Description of . 118 

Treatment of. 118 

Pharynx, Description of . 27 

Pleurje, Description of.. . 18 

Pleural Cavities . .. 18 

Pleural Dropsy.114-115 

Pleurisy. 129 

Pneumonia.127-128 

Morbid Conditions in . . .127-128 

Bacteria of. 98 

Treatment of . 128 

Portal Circulation . 53 

Post-Mortem Cases.141-142 

Treatment of 142-143 

Staining . 61 

Puerperal Fever. 189 

Pulmonary Ciculation . 53 

Purging.83-86 

Purpura ..129-130 

Putrefaction .108-109 

J vemia • 131 


QUIZ COMPEND.156-195 

RECTUM . 29 

Rigor Mortis, Cause of . . . 106-107 
Rules for Transportation of the 

Dead.15 1 ~ I 55 

SANITATION .100-104 

Scarlet Fever, Description of . g9 

Treatment of.. . 99 

Septicemia . 131 

Sigmoid Flexure. 29 

Sinuses of the Dura-Mater . 44 

Skeleton. 7-9 

Skin, Description of . . . ..13-14 

Slipping of.144-145 

Smallpox, Description of. 95 

Treatment of .95-96 

Special Cases, Treatment of ... 134-147 

Spinal Cord. 20 

Spleen .25-26 

Stomach, Description of .27-28 

When and Where to 

Puncture .83-84 

Sulphurous Acid Gas . 102 

Sudden Death by Poisoning . . . 146-147 

Sunstroke.134-135 

Treatment of Bodies 

Dead of . I 35 -I 36 

Swelling of the Neck.145-146 

Syncope. 148 

Syphillis. 124 

TISSUE, Muscular. 9 

Subcutaneous . . ..12-13 

Thoracic Cavity.17-18 

Contents of. 18 

Trachea. 24 

Transportation of the Dead. 151 

Preparing Bodies for 154 

Transverse Colon. 29 

Commencement of Putrefac¬ 
tion in. 107 

Tuberculosis, Description of. 90 

Tumors, Ovarian... 140 








































































INDEX. XIX 


PAGE 

Throat Cutting, Cases of . 146 

Treatment of Bodies dead of 146 

(JMBILICAL REGION. 19 

Uterus, Description of . 31 

VASCULAR SYSTEM. 35 

Valves, Tricuspid. 22 

Mitral or Bicuspid .... 22 

Semilunar. 52 

In Veins.45-47 

Veins, Description of.42-43 

Superficial. 43 

Deep. 43 

Pulmonary . 43 

Systemic. 43 

Internal Jugular. 45 

Of Upper Extremities. 45 

Axillary. 46 

Subclavian. 46 

Cardiac. 46 


PAGE 

Innominate . 46 

Of Lower Extremities. 46 

Bacilic, Where located. 45 

How to draw Blood from 58-59 
Cerebral, Description of. 43-44 

Venae Innominatae. 46 

Superior Vena Cava. 46 

Inferior Vena Cava. 47 

Internal or Long Saphe¬ 
nous . 47 ~ 4 § 

Femoral. 48 

Common Iliac. 47 

Portal. 43 

Ventricles of Heart. 21 

of Brain, Water in. 115 

Vermiform Appendix. 29 

Viscera, Description of.20-32 

WILLIS, CIRCLE OF.35-36 

Womb. 3 I- 3 2 






































Chapter L 


EMBALMING — Past, Present and Future* 


ANCIENT EMBALMING. 

t 

It is not my purpose to give an extensive history of Egyptian 
embalming in this work; but as much has been, and is being said 
on what is called the lost art, I can hardly refrain from express¬ 
ing a few thoughts on what, to many, and especially to those who 
at the present time are actively engaged in the work of preserving 
the dead, is a very interesting subject. Of the art of preserving 
dead bodies, as practiced by the Egyptians, I think very little is 
known—although much has been said and written upon the sub¬ 
ject. After reading some of the long essays upon the methods 
practised by the Egyptians, in which every detail of the work is 
given, even to the price paid for it, one is lead to exclaim : Why is 
it called the lost art? The word “embalming” implies the use of 
balsam, which if we are creditably informed, entered largely into 
the preparations used by the ancient embalmers in preserving the 
dead from putrefaction and the attacks of insects. It is said that 
the ancient Egyptians not only embalmed the bodies of human 
beines, but also those of the lower order of animals, such as cats, 
crocodiles and several species of what they called sacred animals. 

It is believed by some that the origin of embalming in Egypt 
is to be traced to the lack of fuel for the purpose of cremation, and 
the danger to the people of burying in a soil that was so likely to 
be disturbed at any time by the overflowing of the river Nile. 
But if there is any reliability to be placed in history, most of the 
bodies of the Egyptian dead were placed in open sepulchres, and 
I should judge that this was the principal reason for their being 




2 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


put into a condition where putrefaction could not take place; as 
even at that early day it was probably known that putrefied 
bodies were very detrimental to health; not to say anything about 
the disagreeable odors that were sure to arise. I find, however, 
that many authors believe that the practice of embalming arose 
from a superstition entertained by those people regarding the 
resurrection of the body, and although I can find little in the Old 
Testament that leads me to believe that these ancients, either 
Jew or Gentile, had any well grounded hope of, or belief in, the 
resurrection of the dead, still there is some evidence of it,—for 
Job is made to say: “Though the worms devour my skin, yet in 
my flesh shall I see God” (Job Chap. 19, Verse 26). According 
to Prescot it was a belief in the resurrection of the body that lead 
the ancient Peruvians to preserve their dead. In all ages of the 
world there have been people who believed that certain forms or 
ceremonies performed over the bodies of the dead, had much to 
do with expediting the soul on its journey to its appointed place 
in the future world, and perhaps its condition or state of happi¬ 
ness in its final resting place. In Genesis, we are told that 
Joseph, then a Ruler in Egypt, commanded his servants, the 
physicians, to embalm the body of his father; but whether this 
was done for the purpose of making it more convenient and 
agreeable in transporting the remains of the old Patriarch back 

to his own country, or whether from some superstitious belief, no 
one can tell. 

Herodotus gives an account of some of the methods 
of embalming practised by the Egyptians which, if true, proves 
that the embalmers of that primitive time, as well as the modern 
embalmers, employed very different methods of doing the work, 
for which they received various prices, according to the kind of 
work done. The most expensive of these methods was the fol¬ 
lowing:—The brains were in part removed through the nostrils 
by means of a bent iron implement, and in part by the injection 
of. drugs (exactly what is meant by removing the brain by the 
injection of drugs, I do not know). An incision was then made 
in the left side and the intestines drawn out. The abdominal 
cavity was then washed out with palm wine and afterwards filled 
with myrrh, cassia and other ingredients, and the incision sewn 
up. The body was then steeped in a solution of natron for a 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


3 


period of seventy days. It is said that the embalmer who made 
the incision in the side of the corpse for the purpose of drawing 
out the intestines was pursued by his fellows with stones and 
curses, the Egyptians holding that it was a very detestable 
thing to inflict a wound upon a dead body. After the steeping, 
the body was washed and handed over to the swathers by whom 
it was bandaged in gum cloth, and the work of embalming was 
considered complete. The most remarkable thing about this 
operation was the price paid, which was a talent of silver, equal 
to about $1217 U. S. money. If the embalmers of the present 
day, whose methods it will readily be seen, are much superior to 
this, were to be paid at this rate for their work, there would be 
many more applicants to learn the art and enter the ranks of 
professional embalmers. The poorer classes of Egyptians, ac¬ 
cording to these narrators, were embalmed in a very much less 
expensive way, costing only about $450, but I think even this 
price would SO' appall the mind of the average citizen of our day 
that very few would think that they could afford to die, if their 
estate were to be taxed at such a rate for the purpose of embalm¬ 
ing their mortal remains. This cheaper operation consisted in 
injecting the abdomen with cedar tree pitch, which it would 
seem was distilled liquid of pitch pine, which it is said had a 
corrosive and solvent action on the internal organs of the body. 
After injection, the body was steeped for a certain number of 
days in natron, the contents of the abdomen were allowed to 
escape, and embalming by this method was considered complete. 
There are many other methods of embalming by the ancients, 
given in history, which might be of interest to modern em¬ 
balmers, but time and space will not admit of my giving them 
here. 

MODERN EMBALMING. 

From the foregoing it will readily be seen that the work 
done by the modern embalmer, though in every way superior to 
that performed by his ancient predecessors, can hardly be prop¬ 
erly termed “embalming,” as that word implies the use of 
balsam or balm, which, of course, we do not use, but as the 
ancient term “embalmer” was applied to a person whose busi¬ 
ness or profession it was to preserve the bodies of the dead, we 


4 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


have very properly adopted it; and while it may be truly said 
that we do not understand the art of preserving the dead by the 
use of balsams, it can certainly be said of many engaged in this 
profession at the present time, that they thoroughly understand 
the art of preserving dead bodies by the intelligent use of chemi¬ 
cals. Embalming is probably practised in the United States 
and Canada to a greater extent than in any other country on 
the globe. 

In England very little interest seems to be taken in 
embalming. According to some Englishmen whom I have met, 
and conversed with upon this subject, the reason for this is to be 
found in the fact that the climate is such that bodies seldom 
or never decompose rapidly there. Hence there is no demand 
for the services of the embalmer. But my brother-in-law, Dr. 
J. H. Potts, of Holyoke, Mass., who spent about one year in 
London, and who is himself an expert embalmer, tells me that 
the lack of interest taken in the subject there is on account of 
the fact that the custom of the English people is, and has been 
for many years, to bury the bodies of their dead as quickly as 
possible after decease, and that their funerals are much less 
largely attended, and that much less money is expended on 
them than in this country. In France and other parts of Europe, 
much greater interest is taken in embalming than in England. 

From far distant Australia I have had several letters inquir¬ 
ing about the American methods of embalming, and intimating 
that a school could probably be held there with profit to the in¬ 
structor. Prior to 1862 embalming was very little known or 
practised in this country, and for many years after that, and 
even up to the present time, very crude methods have been and 
are employed for preserving the bodies of the dead—such as 
the use of the ice-box, and what is commonly known as “cavity 
embalming.” 

During the civil war, Dr. _ Holmes, late of Brooklyn, 
N. Y., practised embalming in a crude way in the army, 
embalming many of the officers and men for transportation to 
their homes in the North. In 1880 Prof. J. H. Clark, now of 
Cincinnati, Ohio, commenced the business of traveling through 
the country holding three-day schools for the instruction of 
undertakers, who might come to him for that purpose, in the 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


5 


art and science of embalming and preserving the dead. Prof. 
Clark had associated with him one Dr. Lucas, Who is at present, 
if I mistake not, a resident of Syracuse, N. Y. Prof. Clark 
claims to be, and is justly entitled to be called, “the father 
of embalming schools.” The next following Prof. Clark in the 
business of teaching embalming was Prof. August Renouard, 
who is still engaged in that business in the city of New York, 
and has become justly celebrated as an able teacher of the art. 

Next in order came Prof. F. A. Sullivan, now a resident of 
Scranton, Pa., who for more than ten years traversed the coun¬ 
try from Maine to California, lecturing and demonstrating before, 
perhaps, the largest classes ever faced by any teacher of the 
art in America. I think it but just to say that at one time Prof. 
Sullivan enjoyed the largest share of popularity among the under¬ 
taking and embalming profession of any man in America, and al¬ 
though for several years he has retired from active work as a 
teacher, he still has a warm place in the hearts of thousands of em- 
balmers, who have listened to his eloquent lectures, and received 
valuable instructions from him to fit them for the duties that were 
before them. 

Among the later acquisitions to the teachers of this 
art are Prof. Charles Renouard, demonstrator of the Renouard 
Training School, New York City; Dr. Eliab Myers, lecturer and 
demonstrator of the Champion College of Embalming of Spring- 
field, Ohio; Dr. Carl L. Barnes, president and demonstrator 
of the Chicago College of Embalming, and one of the able men 
(at least as far as a knowledge of the anatomy of the body and 
sanitary science is concerned) now engaged in the business; 
Prof. W. H. Hohenschuh of Iowa City, a very able man, and 
A. Johnson Dodge of the Massachusetts College. Strange to 
say, so far as I am aware, every one of the men who have been 
engaged in the business of teaching embalming are still living, 
notwithstanding the dangers attending the practice of the pro¬ 
fession. The pioneers of the business have lived to see the art 
which they propagated in its infancy grow to gigantic propor¬ 
tions, until to-day hardly an undertaker can be found who is 
willing- to admit that he is not more or less proficient in the 
art of preserving the dead. In the earlier practice of embalming 
it was not expected to hold a body any great length of time,—a 


6 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


week in warm weather being considered quite a triumph for the 
embalmer’s art; and it was not claimed by even the most scien¬ 
tific in the profession that they could hold each and every body 
for an indefinite period of time. But the art has grown and 
improved as the years have gone by, until to-day cases that 
were formerly considered almost hopeless, are easily taken care 
of, and hardly any limit is placed on the time a body can be 
kept. Skilled embalmers now assure the friends that they can 
set their own time for burial, be it one week or one month, as 
best suits their convenience. This comparative state of perfec¬ 
tion has been attained only by hard study, both in devising 
means for reaching, in an effectual manner, every part of the 
body, and in the improvements made in the quality of the 
fluids used, which of late years has been greatly improved over 
the kinds formerly in use. But the end is not yet. There are 
still many embalmers who are walking in the footsteps of their 
predecessors, and practicing the antiquated and unscientific 
methods of embalming and using the old fluids, which, 
while they were all right in their day, have long since ceased 
to be used by the up-to-date scientific embalmer, and bear the 
same relations to the modern fluids that the tallow dip of our 
forefathers bears to the modern gas or electric light now used 
in our cities and towns. 


Chapter II. 


ANATOMY OF THE HUMAN BODY. 

THE SKELETON.—The skeleton of the body consists of 
two hundred bones, which are classed as round, flat and irregu¬ 
lar. The bones constitute the basis and support of the body, 
and are necessarily its hard and solid parts, hence some are 
lead to believe that they have no organization, but when exam¬ 
ined by the microscope the bones are found to be highly organ¬ 
ized and vascular. I have little doubt in my mind that when 
a body is thoroughly injected the fluid finds its way into the 
bones as well as the tissues of the body, but since the busmen 
of the embalmer is not to preserve a body for all time, but only 
for a comparatively short period, it is not necessary to give 
any extended description of their structure. Before birth all 
the bones of the foetus are of a cartilaginous character, which 
later in life appear to change into true bone. This, however, is not 
really the fact, but the cartilage is absorbed and carried away 
by absorbent vessels, while another set of vessels are busily 
engaged in depositing matter for the formation of bones in its 
place. That the reader may better understand this higddy inter¬ 
esting process of nature, I will try to explain it as briefly as pos¬ 
sible: 

The transparent vessels of the cartilage first begin to dilate 
to receive the red blood. At this time an artery can be ob- 
sei\ed penetrating towards the middle of the bone. This artery 
is soon accompanied by others, all forming a sort of net work, 
and carrying red blood, and now ossification may be said to 
have commenced. Gradually the cartilage grows opaque and 
brittle and will no longer bend. The bone in the centre spreads, 
according to its dimensions, and may be known by its hard feel 



8 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


when examined by sharp instruments. Similar points of ossi¬ 
fication are now formed in like manner in other parts of the 
bone, till its whole body becomes opaque, and now the vessels, 
stretching from the centre towards the extremities, having pene¬ 
trated the cartilage, which separates the head from the body of 
the bone, enter their heads, when ossification commences here 
also. From this process it will be seen that the heads and body 
are at first distinct bone, formed separately and connected only 
by cartilage, and are not fully connected until the age of 
eighteen or twenty years. 

The two hundred bones which make up the frame work of 
the body are distributed in the following manner:— 

8 in the cranium. 

14 in the face. 

54 in the trunk, including the hyoid bone. 

64 in the upper extremities. 

60 in the lower extremities. 

They are as follows : 

Bones of the cranium. 

1 Frontal (forehead). 

2 Parietal (sides of the head). 

2 Temporal. 

1 Occipital (back of head). 

1 Sphenoid (wedge shaped). 

1 Ethmoid (sieve like). 

Bones of the face. 

2 Malar (cheek bones). 

2 Nasal (nose bones). 

2 Superior Maxillary (upper jaw). 

1 Inferior Maxillary (lower jaw). 

2 Palate (back of roof of mouth). 

2 Lachrymal (inside of eye cavity). 

1 Vomer (ploughshare, between nostrils). 

2 Turbinated (in cavity of nose). 

Bones of the trunk. 

Spinal column: 

7 Cervical (in neck). 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


9 


12 Dorsal (in back). 

5 Lumbar (in loins). 

i Sacrum (sacred bone), 
i Coccyx (cuckoo—end of spinal column). 

Thorax: 

14 True Ribs, in pairs. 

6 False Ribs, in pairs. 

4 Floating Ribs, in pairs. 

1 Sternum (breast bone). 

Ossa innominata 2 (hip bones). 

Bones of each upper extremity. 

1 Scapula (shoulder blade). 

1 Clavicle (collar bone). 

1 Humerus (upper arm). 

1 Radius (fore arm). 

1 Ulna (fore arm). 

8 Carpal (wrist bones). 

5 Metacarpal (palm bones). 

14 Phalanges (fingers). 

Bones of each lower extremity. 

1 Femur (thigh bone). 

1 Patella (knee pan). 

1 Tibia (shin bone). 

1 Fibula (splint bone). 

7 Tarsal (ankle bone). 

5 Metatarsal (instep bones). 

14 Phalanges (toe bones). 

The Hyoid making the two hundred. 

THE MUSCLES AND TISSUES. 

THE MUSCLES—Strange as it may seem to anyone 
having even a superficial knowledge of anatomy, very few 
people know what the muscles are, or what they look like. Out 
of the more than eighlt hundred pupils that have attended 
my school in the past year, I am quite certain that there has not 
been two per cent, that could tell me what is meant by the 


10 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


word “muscle,” except that it is a part of the human body. I 
think, therefore, that a brief description of the muscles 
will not be out of place in a work of this kind. Beneath 
the fatty tissues of the body we have what is commonly called 
“lean meat.” This constitutes the greater part of the body, 
and is called muscle or muscular tissue. Muscles are the mov¬ 
ing organs of the human frame, and by their size and number, 
constitute the greater part of the body, and give it form and 
symmetry. Each large muscle consists of two different por¬ 
tions—its belly, which is the active part, and its white, shiny, flat 
extremities, called tendons. These connect the muscles of the 
body with the parts which they are intended to move. These 
tendons, fastened as they are to the bones, are the ropes on 
which muscular strength is exerted in the act of lifting or mov¬ 
ing heavy burdens. The sailor in hoisting the sail does not 
take hold of the sail itself, but ropes which are attached to it. 
So in lifting, hauling or otherwise moving heavy bodies, while 
the contractibility of the muscles is the moving power, that 
power is exerted upon the tendons. The color of a muscle is 
the deep red which is characteristic of flesh. It is composed of 
parallel fibres placed side by side, and is supported and held 
together by a delicate web of areolar tissue. In structure, 
muscle is composed of bundles of fibres of various size, called 
fasiculi, which are enclosed in a cellular, membranous investment 
01 sheath, and the latter is continuous, with a cellular framework 
of the fibres. Each muscle performs its action by contracting 
both ends towards the centre. When one of these ends serv¬ 
ing as a fixed point, the other, with the bone to which it is affixed, 
is necessarily diawn towards it. Thus, by the co-operation of 
several muscles, the movements of the limbs or even of the whole 
body is affected. I have before said that by far the larger 
portion of the muscles are composed of red flesh, yet it must 
not be understood that this constitutes all of the muscles of the 
body. Muscular tissue enters into the form and structure of 
almost every organ where motion is necessary. The heart is a 
muscle, so is the diaphragm; and the stomach, intestines and 

bladder are in a great measure composed of very minute muscu¬ 
lar fibres. 

Muscles are divided into classes, called voluntary 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


11. 


and involuntary. The voluntary muscles are all those muscles 
of the body that are under the control of the will and can be 
set in motion or stopped as pleases their owner. Involuntary 
muscles are those not under control, and are chiefly found in 
the viscera. The heart and the walls of the blood vessels may be 
called involuntary muscles, flhere are no less than five hundred 
muscles in the human body, and of course in a work of this kind 
it would be superfluous to attempt to give more than a general 
description of them, except so far as they may serve as guides 
to the finding and raising of the arteries used in embalming, 
and to those I shall confine myself. 

The muscles which serve as guides to the radial artery are 
the flexor carpi radialis and the supinator longus. Those which 
serve as guides to the brachial artery are the biceps and triceps 
muscles. That for the carotid artery is the sterno mastoid, and 
those which serve as guides to the femoral are the adductor 
longus and the sartorius muscles. The biceps muscle, the guide 
to the brachial artery, arises by two tendons, from what is known 
as the coracoid process (shoulder bones), and runs along the 
inner side of the humerus (upperarm bone) to be inserted into 
the tubercle of the radius (bone of the forearm). At the bend 
of the elbow the tendon of the biceps gives off from its inner 
side a broad tendinous band, which at this point wholly covers 
the lower portions of the brachial artery. 

THE SUPINATOR LONGUS.—This muscle arises from 
the humerus and runs along the radial border of the forearm, 
and is inserted in the styloid process of the radial bone near the 
thumb. This, together with the flexor carpi radialis muscle, is 
the guide to the radial artery,—that vessel lying between them. 

THE FLEXOR CARPI RADIALIS.—This muscle arises 
from the inner condyle of the humerus (elbow joint) and runs 
parallel with the supinator longus to be inserted into the base of 
the metacarpal bone of the index finger. 

THE STERNO MASTOID MUSCLE.—The attachments 
of this muscle are to the sternum (breast-bone) and clavicle (collar 
bone) at its lower end, and to the mastoid process above. It runs 
diagonally from the back side of the lower lobe of the ear to the 
outer side of the sternum or breast-bone, and with the trachea 
forms the guide for raising the carotid artery. 


12 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


SARTORIUS MUSCLE.—This muscle, which together 
with the adductor longus and Poupart’s ligament, forms what is 
known as Scarpa’s triangle, in the centre of which may be 
found the femoral artery, is a long muscle arising from the an¬ 
terior superior spinous process of the ilium (sharp point of the 
hip bone). It crosses the upper third of the thigh, descends 
behind the inner portion of the knee joint and is inserted by its 
tendon into the tibia (shin bone). 

THE ADDUCTOR LONGUS.—This muscle arises by a 
round tendon from the front surface of the pubic bone, just 
below the angle and descends downwards, passing under the 
sartorius muscle, and forming the inner border of Scarpa’s tri¬ 
angle. As the radial, brachial, carotid and femoral arteries are 
all that the embalmer need to raise at any time, the muscles 
forming guides to these arteries are all that will be given. 

THE DIAPHRAGM is a thin, muscular, fibrous, concave 
wall separating the thoracic from the abdominal cavity; it is 
arched in shape, its largest diameter being from side to side. It 
is attached in front by fleshy fibres to the ensiform appendix 
(point of breast bone) on either side to the surface of the carti¬ 
lages and to the bony portions of the six or seven inferior ribs, 
and behind to the lumbar vertebrae. 

The diaphragm forms a floor for the lungs and a roof for 
the abdominal cavity. It has three large openings through which 
the aorta, vena cava and the oesophagus pass from the thoracic 
into the abdominal cavity. The action of the diaphragm enlarges 
and diminishes the size of the chest. During enforced inspira¬ 
tion the cavity is enlarged and the viscera of the thorax is forced 
downward about two inches. The abdominal viscera are also 
pushed down so far that these organs are below the ribs. During 
expiration the viscera are pushed up by the action of the abdom- 
inal muscles, the cavity of the abdomen encroaches upon the 

chest, the thoracic viscera are raised, and the cavity necessarilv 
diminished. 

THE SUBCUTANEOUS TISSUE.—Between the skin 
and the muscles is a fatty substance called adipose 
tissue. This layer of fatty tissue is continued over the whole 
body, filling up the depressions in the muscles and afford¬ 
ing a smooth surface for the skin to lie upon. The cellular mem- 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


13 


brane which contains this fat, is not confined to any particular 
part, but is to be found at every point of the body. Its use and 
importance are very great. It serves as a bond of union in tying 
or binding the parts together and also to contain fat. Fat is de¬ 
posited very unequally throughout the body. The largest pro¬ 
portion is found between the skin and the muscles, serving as a 
blanket to protect us from cold. This tissue is not always sup¬ 
plied with a large amount of capillaries, and even those that are 
there are sometimes closed, or nearly so, by disease (endar¬ 
teritis) so that it sometimes happens that even after arterial em¬ 
balming has been done and an apparently good circulation has 
been secured, we find the gases accumulating under the skin, 
and in some cases the body is very badly swollen. This is caused 
by the putrefactive bacteria working in the cellular tissue, and 
can be easily remedied by using a trocar beneath the skin, lifting 
it from the fatty tissue and pressing out the gases, after which a 
quantity of formaldehyde fluid should be injected. . This can 
easily be done by attaching a bulb syringe to the trocar and in¬ 
jecting the fluid between the skin and the tissue, the quantity 
depending upon the condition and needs of the body. I have 
placed two gallons of fluid in a body in this way, and it will ab¬ 
sorb even more than that. Four hours after placing it there, not 
a drop can be found, and if the work has been properly done, no 
further decomposition can take place. 

THE FASCIA.—The word “Fascia” means a wrap or band¬ 
age. The superficial fascia is a name applied to a dense fibrous 
membrane which invests the whole body beneath the skin. It 
consists of two layers between which are found the superficial 
veins and nerves. In the wrists and ankles this membrane forms 
ligaments which bind down the tendons of the muscles. This 
membrane is not easily found on account of its being invested 
with fat. 

DEEP FASCIA—Is a strong, dense fibrous membrane 
which invests the deeper tissues of the body and forms a sheath 
or covering for the vessels and nerves in the neck, arms and 
lower limbs. The embalmer should always bear in mind that all 
arteries are enclosed in such a sheath. 

THE SKIN.—The body is covered and protected by a 
strong, pliable and sensitive covering, commonly called the skin, 


14 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


scientifically known as the derma or cutis vera. It consists of two 
layers. The one next the fatty layer of tissue already described, 
is called the derma; this is the true skin. The outer layer is called 
the epidermis or cuticle. The true skin is exceedingly vascular 
and is provided with nerves. It is very elastic, stretching, as in 
dropsy, many feet. It is thickest on the exposed parts, as on the 
back, soles of the feet, palms of the hands, and thinnest on the 
fore part of the body and on the insides of the arms and legs. 

1 he outer covering of the skin sometimes called the scarf skin, 
is a thin, transparent but non-sensitive membrane. This is the 
part of the skin which is raised by a blister, and is the part that 
slips from the true skin on a dead body when we have whait is 
known as “skin slipping.” Ihis covering has no blood vessels, 
and in its composition partakes of the nature of a shell, it differs 
very little from that of the hair and nails. It is designed to pro¬ 
tect the nerves and blood vessels of the true skin, and for that 
reason thickens when exposed to pressure, as on the soles of the 
feet by walking, and on the palms of the hands of those who 
labor. On the surface of the true skin, between it and the epi¬ 
dermis, is spread a mucous substance on which depends the color 
of the skin in the different races of men. It is black in the Negro, 
brown in the Egyptian, and copper color in the Indian and 
Mulatto. It is the decomposition of this mucous layer, super¬ 
induced, no doubt, by the decomposition of the tissues imme¬ 
diately below the skin which I have already spoken of, that 
causes the cuticle or outer layer to slip. 

THE HAIR.—The hair appears to be an outgrowth of the 
outer skin or cuticle, but its roots arise from distinct bulbs or 
capsules seated in the cellular membrane under the skin. The 
hail, like the nails, grows only from below by a regular propul¬ 
sion from the loots, where they receive their nourishment from 
the blood. I have heard many stories about the growth of 
the hair and nails after death, some of them told by such appar¬ 
ently reliable men that I began to doubt if I might not be mis¬ 
taken aftei all; but, on consulting thoroughly reliable scientific 
works, I came to the conclusion that, insomuch as it is a phy¬ 
sical impossibility for the hair to grow after death, the only 
explanation I could give of these stories was that they were 
fictitious. Ihe apparent growth of the hair after death is proba- 











The Dodge Bottle Holder and Injector 












THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


15 


bly the result of the shrinking of the skin and other tissues of the 
body caused by dessication. 

THE NAILS.— As I have before remarked, the nails and 
the epidermis or outer skin are believed to be of the same origin 
as is the hair. lake the outer skin, the nails are neither vascular 
nor sensitive, and it is said that if by any means the scarf skin is 
separated from the true skin the nails will come away with it. 
The nails consist of three parts, root, body and extremity. They 
increase in length from their roots, and not from their extrem¬ 
ities, as many believe. 

The embalmer finds much trouble with the nails on account 
of the blood accumulating under them. This could be remedied 
in most cases, if he would provide his embalming board with an 
upright post, and as soon as he is called to take charge of a body, 
raise the arms and fasten them by a strap, with the fingers ex¬ 
tended ; this would cause the blood to gravitate to the deep ves¬ 
sels, leaving the nails looking white and natural. 


THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 

THE NERVES, not being supplied with blood vessels, a 
knowledge of the nervous system is not a necessary part of the 
education of an embalmer, therefore any extended article on this 
part of the anatomy would be superfluous in a work of this kind; 
but, as it is well for the embalmer to have a general idea of the 
whole anatomy of the body, I will give a general outline of the 
nervous system. 

All the nerves of the body arise from the brain and spinal 
cord; they come out in pairs and are distributed over the whole 
body. Of the forty pairs of nerves which supply the system, 
nine arise from the base of the brain within the skull, one from 
the brain as it passes from the great hole in the skull, called the 
foramen magnum, into the spine, and thirty from the spinal cord. 

Those arising from the brain pass through holes in the base 
of the skull, and are distributed chiefly to the organs of the 
head, and to- those contained in the thoracic and abdominal cav¬ 
ities ; while those which arise from the spinal cord go partly to 
the internal organs, but are principally distributed to the external 
parts of the body and to the extremities. 


/ 


t 6 the practical embalmer. 

As the nerves pass out from the spinal cord they spiead 
out into innumerable branches, which are found in almost every 
part of the body. 

The office of the nerves is to convey sensation to and from 
the brain; they are telegraph wires, so to speak. If any part of 
the body that is supplied with nerves is injured the sensation is 
immediately conveyed to the brain and the mind made aware 
of it. 

If the mind puts forth a will to move any particular part of 
the body, it is at once conveyed to that part by the nerves, and 
the will is obeyed. 









PLATE 1 


Superficial Dissection of the Thorax and Abdomen. 


A— Upper bone of the sternum. 

13B*—Two first ribs. 

CC *—Second pair of ribs. 

I>I>»—Right and left lungs. 

K—Pericardium, enveloping the heart — the right ventricle. 

F —Lower end of sternum. 

GG*—Lobes of the liver. 

HU*—Right and left halves of the diaphragm, in section; the right half separating 
the right lung from the liver, the left half separating the left lung from the 
broad cardiac end of the stomach. 

11 *—Eighth pair of ribs. 

K K*— Ninth pair of ribs. 

LL*—Tenth pair of ribs. 

31 M'—The stomach: m, its cardiac bulge: m* its pyloric extremity. 

>'—The umbilicus. 

OO* —The transverse colon. 

PP* —The omentum, covering the transverse colon and small intestines. 

O—The gall bladder. 

RII*—The right and left pectoral prominences. 

SS*—The small intestines. 













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Chapter III 


THE CAVITIES AND VISCERA. 

CAVITIES OF THE BODY.—The cavities of the body 
with which the embalmer should be acquainted, are seven in 
number, counting the cavity of the peritoneum as separate from 
the abdominal cavity. A thorough knowledge of the anatomy, 
location and capacity of these cavities is of all things most 
necessary to the embalmer, whether he be what is erroneously 
called “a cavity embalmer,” or one who mainly defends upon 
arterial work for his success. In the few following pages devoted 
to this subject I will endeavor to give as plain a description of 
these cavities as possible, believing that, by so doing, I shall 
materially aid the student of embalming in his endeavor to attain 
efficiency in his business as a professional embalmer. 

In what is usually termed the trunk of the body we have 
two general cavities called the cavity of the thorax, or thoracic 
cavity, and the cavity of the abdomen, or abdominal cavity. 

The two other cavities, not situated in the trunk of the body, 
are the cavity of the cranium and that of the scrotum. Therefore 
all the separate serous cavities of the body are the cavity of the 
cranium, right and left pleural cavities, cavity of the pericardium, 
the abdominal, the pelvic and the peritoneal cavities. I will now 
proceed to explain these cavities separately and in detail. 

THE THORACIC CAVITY.— The thoracic cavity is the 
interior of that frame work of bone and cartilage which 
makes up what is commonly called the chest. Its back part is 
formed by the middle portion of the spine; the sides, by the ribs 
and intercostal muscles; and the front by the sternum or breast 
bone, the costal cartilages and the intercostal muscles. It is 
much wider below than above, and is greater from side to side 



18 THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 

than from front to back, the largest man not measuring more 
than five inches between the inner surface of the breast bone and 
the spine. 

The viscera contained in the cavity of the thorax are the 
lungs, invested by the pleura, and the heart, enclosed in its mem¬ 
braneous sac, called the pericardium. The thoracic cavity is 
divided by the pleura into three distinct cavities, having no con¬ 
nection with each other. These are called the right and left 
pleural, and the mediastinal in which we have the heart sac, often 
called the cavity of the pericardium. 

THE CAVITY OF THE CRANIUM, or cerebro-spinal 
cavity, is the interior of the skull which is lined by a dense 
fibrous membrane called the dura mater. This cavity will be 
described at greater length in treatise on needle embalming. 

THE PLEURAL CAVITIES, or the pleurae, are shut sacs 
which completely invest the lungs and line the posterior walls 
of the thorax. They are exceedingly delicate membranes. That 
part which lines the walls is called the pleura costalis, that part 
which covers the lungs the pleura pulmonalis. The 
pleurae (right and left) do not meet in the middle line of the 
chest, except at one point, in front, being separated by the 
mediastinal space which contains the heart enclosed in the peri¬ 
cardium, a part of the bronchi and the oesophagus. 

The interspaces between the lining of the thoracic walls and 
the investment of the lungs are called the pleural cavities. Each 
cavity contains a lung and they are entirely separate from each 
other, having no communication. Therefore fluid injected into 
the right pleural cavity will never find its way into the left, and 
vice versa. Between these cavities nature has provided a place 
for the heart called the mediastinum. The capacity of each of 
these cavities is from two to three pints, according to the size of 
the body and the condition of the lungs. In bodies dying of 
certain diseases, which will be treated of hereafter, these cavities 
are likely to be found filled with serous fluid (water), which 
should always be removed before fluid is injected. 

CAVITY OF THE PERICARDIUM.—The pericardium 
is a membraneous sac containing the heart. It is situated in the 
mediastinal space between the two pleural cavities. In cases of 
hydro pericardium (dropsy of the heart), an exudation of serous 





Divisions of the Abdominal Cavity 









THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


19 


fluid takes place into the cavity of the pericardium, and should 
always be removed, and the sac afterwards filled with embalming 
fluid. 

THE CAVITY OF THE ABDOMEN.—The abdominal 
cavity is situated between the thoracic and pelvic cavities, being 
covered above by the diaphragm, bounded below by the pel¬ 
vis, in front by the abdominal muscles, on the sides by the 
lower ribs, and behind by the vertebral column (back bone) and 
the psoae and quadrati—lumborum muscles. The abdominal 
cavity contains the liver, stomach, spleen, most of the large and 
small intestines, the kidneys, pancreas and gall bladder. The ab¬ 
dominal cavity is divided into nine regions, or sections, by imag¬ 
inary lines, as shown in the cut. These regions, or sections of 
the abdomen, are used by physicians for locating the viscera. 
They are called the hypogastric, right inguinal, right lumbar, 
right hypochondriac, epigastric, umbilical, left hypochondriac, 
left lumbar, and left inguinal. The inguinal regions are often 
called the right and left iliac. I do not consider a knowledge of 
these regions of any value to the embalmer, but as some of the 
examining boards for embalming have seen fit to make them a 
part of their examinations of applicants for embalmer’s license, 
I give them here. 

The capacity of the abdominal cavity is very large. I have 
myself, drawn from the abdomen of a medium-sized woman nine 
measured gallons of serous fluid, but, for the purpose of embalm¬ 
ing, from two to five pints of fluid, according to the size and 
condition of the body, may be used. 

PELVIC CAVITY.—The cavity of the pelvis, or pelvic 
cavity, is formed by the junction of the pelvic bones with the 

abdominal muscles. It is composed of four bones, called the 
ossa innominata, which bound it on either side and in front, and 
the sacrum and coccyx, which complete it behind. The pelvic 
cavity communicates directly with the abdominal cavity above, 
so that fluid injected into the cavity of the abdomen will always 
find its way into the pelvis by gravitation. The viscera contained 
in this cavity are the bladder and the rectum in the male, and the 
bladder, rectum and uterus in the female. 


20 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


VISCERA OF THE BODY, 

THE HUMAN BRAIN is a large pulpy organ situated in 
the interior of the skull. It is greyish on the outside and 
whitish on the inside. The brain is covered by two membranes, 
the outermost covering being called the dura matter, which lines 
the interior of the skull and prevents its eminences from giving 
injuries to the delicate structures of the brain. This covering 
is also supposed to help prevent concussion of that organ, as it 
sends off large folds that are inserted between the divisions, and 
separate the whole mass into portions which, by its partitions, 
it supports and protects from pressure. The first of these parti¬ 
tions commences at the inside of the forehead and, running along 
the roof of the skull, descends to about the centre of the back 
part of the head, and divides the upper part of the brain into two 
great portions, called the right and left hemispheres. The 
second partition runs horizontally or nearly at right angles with 
the first, whose termination it receives at its middle, and extend¬ 
ing itself towards each ear, it divides the brain into the upper 
and under part, thus forming a floor for sustaining the former. 
The third fold runs down from the middle of the second opposite 
to where the first ends, and separates the posterior part of the 
brain also into sections. The second membrane, called the pia 
mater, is a soft, thin, transparent membrane. This membrane, 
unlike the first, is vascular. Between these two membranes 
there is spread a third, called the arachnoid, which is extremely 
delicate. The brain, besides being divided in the centre into two 
hemispheres by the dura mater, is also divided into four separate 
parts, known as the cerebrum, the cerebellum, the pons varolii, 
and the medulla oblongata. The first, called the cerebrum, is the 
largest of the three divisions, and occupies all of that space above 
the floor formed by the dura mater; the second division of the 
brain, called the cerebellum, lies under the floor formed by the 
dura mater, at the under and back part of the skull. The third 
division, called the medulla oblongata, lies at the base of the 
skull, and is a continuation or union of the white substances of 
the other parts of the organ. The spinal cord is a continuation 
of this part of the brain. The pons varolii connects the cere¬ 
bellum with the medulla oblongata. It is composed of a broad 



PLATE 2 


Arterial Supply to the Base of the Brain. 


AA —Vertebral arteries. 

15—Anterior spinal branches, forming median anterior trunk. 

15—Posterior inferior cerebellar artery. 

E—Basilar trunk, from convergence of two vertebrals. 

FF —Transverse arteries. 

G —Anterior inferior cerebellar artery. 

H—Superior cerebellar artery. 

I—Posterior cerebral artery, terminal branching of basilic. 

•J—Choroidean artery, posterior. 

K—Posterior communicating artery. 

L—Carotid artery, internal. 

M —Anterior choroidean artery. 

N—Middle cerebral artery. 

O—Anterior cerebral artery. 

1’—Point of reflection of anterior cerebral over the corpus callosum. 
R—Anterior communicating artery. 


















THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


21 


band of white fibres. The weight of the brain in the male is 
forty-eight to fifty-two ounces; in the female it is somewhat 
lighter, its average being from forty-three to forty-seven ounces. 
In looking upon the human brain a casual observer sees only 
an unsightly mass. But take a small section of the brain and 
place it under the microscope and you see that what appears to 
the naked eye as simple in structure as a mass of clay, is really 
a multitude of minute cells, group after group, layer upon layer, 
multitudinous in number, and almost infinite in their com¬ 
munications. When the reader has studied this brief description 
of this wonderful organ, together with its blood vessels given 
elsewhere, he will, I think, thoroughly comprehend the workings 
of the so-called needle processes of embalming. 

THE HEART is a hollow muscle contained in the medias¬ 
tinal cavity and enclosed within a sac called the pericardium. 
The heart may be termed the central organ of the vascular 
system, its special function being to force the blood from both 
ventricles of the heart through the arteries, to every part of the 
body, or to the capillaries, from which i:t flows back again 
through the veins to the right ventricle. It is situated in what 
is known as the mediastinum, between the lungs. It is held in 
position by the great blood vessels that spring from its base, and 
by the attachments of its sac, or covering, to the diaphragm. 

The heart is an inverted cone, its base being very nearly on 
a line with the third intercostal cartilage or rib, the right auricle 
being just under the fourth costal cartilage, at its junction with 
that bone. Its apex is situated about two inches below the left 
nipple and very close to the fifth rib. The heart is about five 
inches long, three and one-half inches wide, two and one-half 
inches thick, and weighs nine and one-half to twelve ounces. It 
has four chambers or cavities, called auricles and ventricles. The 
right auricle extends across the sternum to the right side of the 
chest; the right ventricle is placed partly under the sternum and 
partly to the left of it, its lower border being nearly on a level 
with the fifth cartilage. The left ventricle lies inside the left 
nipple, between the third and fifth intercostal spaces; the left 
auricle is found just under the junction of the third costal carti¬ 
lage with the sternum. 

The passages between the auricles and ventricles are called 


22 


THE PRACTICAL EMBAL'MER. 


auriculo ventricular orifices; they are provided with valves to 
prevent the blood from regurgitating or returning back. Those 
situated on the right side are called the tricuspid, on account 
of having three cusps; those on the left side are called bicuspid 
valves, having but two cusps. They are sometimes called mitral 
valves, on account of their shape, being formed like a mitre. 

There is no communication between the right and left sides 
of the heart, as the two sides are separated by a muscular sub¬ 
stance called the septum, the right being the venous side, the 
left the arterial side of the heart. Therefore the heart is often 
spoken of as the right and left heart, or the venous and aterial 
heart. The venous blood which passes into the right side of the 
heart does not find its way into the left side until it has passed 
through the pulmonary arteries into the lungs, and there under¬ 
goes the change from venous to arterial blood. This change is 
accomplished by throwing off carbonic acid gas and receiving 
oxygen from the air we breathe. 

The great vessels conveying venous blood to the right 
auricle are the superior and inferior vena cava and the great 
cardiac vein. The blood vessels conveying the venous blood 
from the right ventricle to the lungs for purification are the pul¬ 
monary arteries. The vessels which convey the pure blood from 
the lungs to the left auricle of the heart are the pulmonary veins. 
The great vessel which conveys the pure blood from the left ven¬ 
tricle of the heart is the great aorta. 

The heart contracts and expands from seventy-two to eighty 
times every minute, the cavities on both sides distending and 
contracting at the same time, thereby forcing the blood through 
the circulation. 

The walls of the chambers or cavities of the heart are formed 
of striped, muscular fibre, over the contractions of which the 
will exercises no control whatever. The muscular walls of the 
ventricles are much thicker than those of the auricles, and the 
walls of the left ventricle are about three times as thick as those 
of the right. 

The heart is well supplied with blood, not from the blood 
that flows through its cavities, but by the coronary arteries, 
which arise from the upper portion of the great aorta and, enter¬ 
ing the heart, ramify in its walls, and end in numerous capillaries 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


23 


lying between the fibres. From these capillaries arise the 
coronary veins that serve to return the blood from the heart. 

THE LUNGS.—The lungs are the organs of respiration. 
They are placed one on either side in the thoracic cavity, sepa¬ 
rated by the mediastinal space which contains the heart. The 
apices of the lungs are found about one-half inch above the 
clavicle, or collar-bone; the base is broad, concave and rests upon 
the convex surface of the diaphragm; its lowest part is found near 
the eighth rib. The right lung is the largest, it is broader than 
the left, nature having so provided in order to make room for the 
heart, which inclines to the left side. The right lung has three 
lobes; the left has only two, and is much more narrow than the 
right. 

The bronchi, which are the branches of the trachea, after 
entering the lungs, divide and sub-divide into what are called 
the lesser bronchi or the bronchial tubes, which spread their 
branches throughout the substance of the lungs. 

Each of the bronchial tubes enters a lobular bronchial tube, 
and, again subdividing, terminates in air cells. The air cells are 
alveolar recesses separated from each other by their septa, and 
communicating freely with the inter-cellular passages; they can 
be seen on the surface of the lungs, and vary from one-seventieth 
to one two-hundredths of an inch in diameter. 

The venous blood is forced from the right venltricle of the 
heart to the lungs through the pulmonary arteries, which divide 
into branches that accompany the bronchial tubes, and terminate 
in a dense capillary network upon the walls of the inter-cellular 
passages and air cells. Arising from this network of capillaries 
we find the radicals of the pulmonary veins joining together to 
form large branches which accompany the arteries, receiving the 
blood which, in its passage through the capillaries, becomes 
purified. 1 ■ : f 1 

Although the pulmonary arteries carry large quantities of 
blood to the lungs, the blood brought in this way does not fur¬ 
nish nutrition to the substance or tissue of the lungs. The lungs 
are supplied with nutriment through the bronchial arteries, 
which come off from the thoracic aorta; they accompany the 
bronchial tubes, are distributed to the bronchial glands and 
upon the walls of the largest bronchial tubes and pulmonary 
vessels, and terminate in the bronchial veins. 


24 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


The average weight of the lungs in the male is about forty- 
four ounces; in the female considerably less, the average being, 
perhaps, not more than thirty-eight ounces. 

THE TRACHEA, commonly called the windpipe, is a 
tube by which the air is conveyed to the lungs. It is situated in 
the neck, commencing at the larynx and extending downward for 
about four inches. It is composed largely of cartilaginous rings, 
from sixteen to twenty in number, which partially surround the 
tube; its posterior portion, about one-third, being composed of 
fibrous tissue and muscular fibres. 

This tube passes directly beneath the sternum, or breast¬ 
bone, and divides just under the first junction of that bone into 
two large branches, called the right and left bronchus, or bronchi. 
The right being larger, shorter and more horizontal than the 
left. The tubes enter the lungs, where, as already mentioned, 
they divide and sub-divide into small membraneous branches, 
like the boughs of a tree, until they finally terminate in air cells. 
These branches are called bronchial tubes. 

THE LIVER is a large glandular organ, situated on the 
right side of the body, just below the diaphragm, commencing in 
what is known as the right hypo-chondriac region, and extending 
across the body to the left of the sternum, or breast bone, for 
about two or three inches, partly covering the stomach. It is the 
largest organ in the body, measuring from ten to twelve inches 
from its right to its left extremity. It is from six to seven inches 
wide in its widest part, and about three inches thick at the back 
part of the right lobe, this being the thickest part. 

Gray gives the weight of the liver at from three to four 
pounds, but my experience has taught me that the liver will 
average at least four and one-half pounds in the adult. In adult 
males the anterior border of the liver is usually found cor¬ 
responding with the lower margin of the ribs, but in women 
and children it is usually found projecting below the ribs. The 
liver has five lobes, the right and left being the principal ones. 
The vessels connected with the liver are the hepatic artery, the 
portal vein, the hepatic vein, the hepatic ducts, and the lym¬ 
phatics. 

The hepatic artery is a branch from the coeliac axis, its 
function being to supply the liver with pure blood. The hepatic 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


25 


veins carry the venous blood from the liver, where they originate, 
to the inferior vena cava. 

The hepatic ducts accompany the arteries and the portal 
veins. The portal veins carry large quantities of blood from the 
stomach, spleen and the intestines to the liver. The lymphatics 
of the liver are large and numerous; they consist of a deep and 
superficial set. While the normal weight of the liver is about 
four and one-half pounds, it should be remembered that this 
organ is liable to become enlarged unltil it weighs in the neigh¬ 
borhood of twenty pounds. 

THE SPLEEN is situated on the left side of the body, 
immediately under the diaphragm, above the left kidney and be¬ 
tween the stomach and the ribs. It is of an oblong, flattened 
form, soft and very brittle; it is highly vascular. The splenic 
artery is noted for its large size in proportion to the organ it sup¬ 
plies. It divides and sub-divides into from four to six branches, 
which enter the spleen and ramify through its entire substance, 
ending in arterioles. These terminate in capillaries, which tra¬ 
verse the pulp in all directions. 

The capilliary vessels terminate in the pulp, and the blood, 
passing through the spleen, is supposed to undergo important 
changes. After these changes have taken place the blood is 
collected from the tissue by the rootlets of the veins, and is 
carried to the small vqins, which unite to form larger veins, 
and these, uniting, form the splenic vein, the largest branch of the 
portal system. 

Of the function of the spleen very little is known, but the 
opinion prevails among medical men that one of its functions is 
to disintegrate the used-up blood globules in order to form pig¬ 
ment, which is then transferred to the liver by the splenic blood, 
to be used in the bile. There are also good reasons for believing- 
that the spleen serves as a storehouse of nutrition during the 
intervals of feeding; but there is no positive knowledge of the 
functions of this organ, as it has often been demonstrated that the 
spleen can be removed without any particular disturbance of the 
functions of life. 

The size and weight of the spleen is liable to vary in differ¬ 
ent individuals and in the same person under different conditions 
of age and health. In a healthy adult the spleen is about five 


26 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


inches in length, three or four inches in breadth, from one to 
one and one-half inches thick, and weighs about seven or eight 
ounces; but in sickness, most often in fevers, especially of the 
intermittent type, such as fever and ague, the spleen is liable to 
enlarge to an enormous extent. I have myself removed a spleen 
from a dead body which, on being placed on a scale, was found 
to weigh a few ounces over twenty pounds. This spleen was 
very hard and would probably have given the embalmer no 
trouble, but when similarly enlarged, and of a soft pulpy nature, 
would have been liable to decompose very rapidly. 

Full directions for treating enlarged livers and spleen will be 
given later. 

THE KIDNEYS are two large tubular glands. They are 
found in the back part of the abdomen, in the right and left 
lumbar regions, one on either side of the spinal column, or back 
bone. The left under the liver and the right under the spleen. 
They are covered by the peritoneum. 

The kidneys commence near the eleventh rib and extend 
downward about four inches, almost to the hip bone. The right 
kidney is always a little lower than the left on account of the 
space occupied by the liver. 

The kidneys are usually surrounded with fat, which, 
together with the blood vessels, serves to hold them in position. 
The function of the kidneys is the secretion of urine, the ureters 
carrying the water from the kidneys to the bladder. 

The kidneys are supplied with blood by the renal arteries, 
which are two of the large branches of the abdominal aorta. The 
blood is carried from the kidneys by the renal veins, which 
empty into the inferior vena cava. The kidneys are four inches 
long, two inches wide and one inch thick, and weigh five to six 
ounces each. 

THE GALL BLADDER is attached to the lower portions 
of the liver. It is a small, membraneous sac, shaped 
much like a pear; this is the reservoir for the bile. This 
sac will hold from one to one and one-half ounces; it is connected 
with the intestines by ducts, which carry the bile to the duo¬ 
denum. The bile contained in this sac is a clear, more or less 
ropey, fluid. What the action or uses of the bile are, is not well 
understood. It has been supposed to exert an influence on 



PLATE 3 


Relative Position of the Deeper ,Organs of Thorax 
and those of the Abdomen. 


A—Upper end of the sternum. 

15B*—First pair of ribs. 

CC*—Second pair of ribs. 

I>—Aorta, with left vagus and phrenic nerves crossing its transverse arch. 

E—Root of pulmonary artery. 

F—Right ventricle. 

G—Right auricle. 

II —Vena cava superior, with right phrenic nerve on its outer border. 

11*—Right and left lungs collapsed, and turned outward to show the heart's outline. 

K K '—Seventh pair of ribs. 

I-L*—The diaphragm, in section. 

N—The gall bladder, with its duct to form the common bile duct. The hepatic artery 
is seen superficial to the common duct: the vena portae is seen beneath 
it. The patent orifices of the hepatic veins are seen'on the cut surface 
of the liver. 

O—The stomach. 

1’—Inferior vena cava. 

O—The cceliac axis, dividing into the gastric, splenic and hepatic arterifes. 

K—The spleen. 

>^ ^ *—The transverse colon, retween which and the lower border of the stomach is 
seen the gastro-epiploic artery, formed by the splenic and hepatic arteries. 


■S***—Ascending colon, in the right iliac region. 

T—Convolutions of the small intestines, distended with air. 











THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


27 


digestion, but medical men of today consider this doubtful. 
Another function which was supposed to belong to the bile is 
that of exciting the muscular action of the intestines. But, as 
the bile has none of the elements of fermentation and decom¬ 
position it is of little interest to the embalmer. 

THE PANCREAS is a gland which is placed behind the 
bottom of the stomach. One end points toward the spleen, wuh 
its other extremity extending forward. The length of the 
pancreas is about eight inches, its width about three, and it is 
about one inch thick. It is of a reddish color, inclining to yellow, 
and secretes a fluid much resembling the saliva. The fluid is 
called pancreatic juice. 

THE ALIMENTARY CANAL commences at the 
mouth, the next link being the pharynx, which is about four 
inches long, and ends in the oesophagus. The oesophagus is a 
tube composed of thick muscular walls, through which the food 
passes into the stomach. It is about nine inches long, cylin¬ 
drical in shape, and rather constricted at both its upper and lower 
extremities. 

It is situated in the neck behind the trachea, commencing 
m the median line, just opposite the fifth cervical vertebra, and 
passes downward, piercing the diaphragm and ending in the 
stomach. 

The coats of the oesophagus are two in number. These 
coats are composed of an external, longitudinal and internal 
circular, or transverse layer of muscular fibre. The food, in its 
passage through the oesophagus to the stomach, is aided by the 
action of the constrictor muscles, which also have a tendency to 
hold the oesophagus closed when no food or drink is being 
swallowed. 

It is through this passage that a tube is sometimes passed 
into the stomach for the purpose of removing gas or fluid from 
that organ. This is practical when the muscles are in a lax con¬ 
dition, but when rigor mortis is on, or the muscles contracted^ 
this operation is impracticable. 

THE STOMACH is situated on the left side of the body 
above the transverse colon, just under the diaphragm, and is 
partially covered by the liver. The size of the stomach varies 
much in different individuals. When moderately filled with gas 


28 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


or fluid, its transverse diameter is about ten inches, its vertical 
diameter about four inches, and its capacity varies from'three to 
five pints. The weight of the stomach when empty is from five 
to seven ounces. The largest part is at the left extremity, some¬ 
times called the splenic end. 

The smallest part of the stomach, called the lesser or pyloric 
end, is found just under the end of the cartilage of the eighth 
rib. The highest part is called the cardiac orifice, which com¬ 
municates with the oesophagus; the smaller or pyloric end com¬ 
municates directly with the pylorus, and contains a valve called 
the pyloric orifice. 

THE SMALL INTESTINE is a convoluted tube situated 
in the centre and lower part of the abdominal cavity. It is about 
twenty feet in length, and is divided, from above downward, into 
three parts, called respectively the duodenum, the jejunum, and 
the ileum. The duodenum commences at the pylorus and as¬ 
cends obliquely upward, backward, and to the right, to the under 
surface of the liver; it then descends in front of the right kidney, 
and passes transversely across the front of the spine, terminating- 
in the jejunum. The jejunum commences at the duodenum, on 
the left side of the second lumbar vertebrae, and terminates in the 
ileum. The jejunum is much wider and its coat is much thicker 
and more plentifully supplied with blood vessels than that of the 
ileum. The duodenum and jejunum comprise about two-fifths of 
the small intestine; the ileum includes the whole of the remaining 
portion of the small intestine and occupies the umbilical, right 
iliac, and sometimes the pelvic region, and terminates by opening 
into the large intestine. The ileum is not as vascular as some of 
the other divisions of the small intestine. 

The walls of the small intestine are composed of three coats, 
a muscular, a cellular, and a mucous coat. The blood vessels of 
the small intestine are the superior and inferior mesenteric 
arteries and the mesenteric veins. The superior mesenteric 
artery supplies the whole of the small intestine, except a small 
part of the duodenum. This vessel commences at the aorta, just 
below the coeliac axis, and passes between the pancreas and 
transverse portion of the duodenum. 

This artery has five branches which ramify over the different 
divisions of the small intestine, and portions of the large, freely 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


29 


anastomosing with others on their passage. The artery is ac¬ 
companied by the superior mesenteric vein. 

THE LARGE INTESTINE commences at the termination 
of the ileum. Its first part is called the caecum, which is the 
connecting link between the colon and the small intestine. The 
caecum is the most dilated part’ of the large intestine, and con¬ 
tains a valve called the ileo caecal valve. Attached to the lower 
side of the caecum is a long narrow tube, from three to five inches 
in length, bearing some resemblance to a rat’s tail. It is called 
the vermiform appendix. What the function of this tube is (if it 
has any) no one appears to know. It can be, and often has been, 
removed by a skilful surgeon, and all the functions of the bowels 
have gone on as usual. It is the cause of much trouble, however, 
being the seat of that disease known as appendicitis. 

The large intestine is divided into three parts, the caecum, 
the colon, and the rectum. The colon is divided into ascending, 
transverse and descending. 

The ascending colon is a continuation of the caecum. It 
passes up through the right lumbar region to the under surface 
of the liver, where it turns to the left and becomes the transverse 
colon. 

The transverse colon is the longest of the different divisions 
of the large intestine. It passes directly across the abdomen from 
right to left, when it turns downward and becomes the descend¬ 
ing colon. 

The descending colon passes almost vertically downward 
through the left lumbar regions, terminating in the sigmoid 
flexure at the margin of the crest of the ileum (hip bone). It is 
smaller than the ascending, and, unlike that division, is not cov¬ 
ered by the peritoneum. The sigmoid flexure is the continuation 
of the descending colon, and is the narrowest part of that intes¬ 
tine. It commences at the termination of that division near the 
margin of the crest of the ileum, and ends in the rectum, which 
is the termination of the large intestine. 

The rectum is from six to eight inches long, and is less flex¬ 
ible than any other part of the intestinal canal. It is narrower 
in the upper part than in the part immediately preceding it, but 
gradually widens as it descends, and just above the anus dilates 
to a large extent, forming what is sometimes called the cavity of 
the rectum. 


30 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


The large intestine, like the small, has four coats—serous, 
muscular, cellular and mucous. The principal blood vessels 
of the large intestine are the superior and inferior mesenteric 
arteries and the superior and inferior mesenteric veins. The in¬ 
ferior mesenteric artery supplies the descending colon and the 
greater part of the rectum. It is not as large as the superior 
mesenteric. It arises from the aorta about two inches above its 
bifurcation (division), and descends into the pelvis, supplying 
the rectum through the medium of one of its largest branches, 
called the superior hemorrhoidal. The inferior mesenteric vein 
returns the blood from the rectum, sigmoid flexure and descend¬ 
ing colon. 

The superior mesenteric vein returns the blood from the 
small intestine, the caecum, and the ascending and transverse 
portions of the colon. 

THE PERITONEUM.—The Peritoneum (to extend 
around) is a serous membrane which covers the bowels, and 
wholly or partially invests all of the viscera contained in the 
abdominal cavity. This membrane is very complicated and hard 
to understand in all its different aspects. The amateur, in the 
study of anatomy, however, can only be expected to get a gen¬ 
eral idea of what this membrane is, and that in fact, is all that is 
needed. 

The peritoneum is a closed sac which completely invests the 
bowels, putting out folds which are tucked in between the viscera 
of the abdomen, separating them from each other. Such a fold 
may be seen inserted between the under surface of the liver and 
the upper surface of the stomach, which is called the lesser peri¬ 
toneal cavity. The greater cavity of the peritoneum separates 
the anterior surfaces of the viscera from the walls of the abdomen; 
one layer being in contact with the viscera, the other lining the 
posterior walls of the abdominal muscles. 

An acquaintance with the character and anatomy of this 
membrane is of importance to the embalmer, because he is so 
liable to be called upon to embalm the bodies of those who have 
died of peritonitis, also on account of the fact that in cases of 
acites or peritoneal dropsy, this sac is found filled with serous 
fluid or water, which should always be removed before proceed¬ 
ing to embalm the body. 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


3i 


THE BLADDER is a small sac situated in the pelvic cavity 
behind the pubic bone and in front of the rectum, in the male. In 
the female the womb is between the bladder and the rectum. The 
normal capacity of the bladder is about one pint, but when dis¬ 
tended to its fullest capacity it will hold from ten to twelve pints. 
In its normal condition the bladder does not rise above the 
pubic bone, but when distended with water it sometimes rises 
to a point near the umbilicus. 

The bladder is divided into a body, apex, base and neck; 
the apex extends upward and is attached to the navel or umbili¬ 
cus by a cord; the base is directly downward and backward, being 
situated close to and partly resting on the rectum. What is 
known as the neck of the bladder is that constricted portion which 
is continuous with the urethra. 

THE UTERUS OR WOMB.—This organ is situated in 
the pelvic cavity or basin. In its virgin state it is about as large 
as a small pear and much the same shape. It is about three 
inches in length, two in breadth, and one in thickness, and 
weighs about three and one-half ounces It is the organ of gesta¬ 
tion (child-bearing), and when impregnated expands with the 
growth of the foetus until it extends into the peritoneal cavity, 
sometimes even to the epigastric region. After the expulsion 
of the child, the womb will weigh about two pounds. After the 
first few months of pregnancy the womb contains the placenta, 
otherwise known as the after-birth; also the amnion, a mem¬ 
braneous sac in which the child is immersed in a liquid called 
liquor amnii. 

The placenta is the organ by which the connection between 
the mother and child is maintained. It serves as a stomach and 
lungs for the child during the period of gestation, the child re¬ 
ceiving both the salts and oxygen necessary to its nourishment 
from the placenta through the arteries and veins forming the 
umbilical cord, which appears about the end of the fifth month 
after pregnancy, and consists of the umbilical arteries and the 
umbilical vein, which are united by a gelatinous mass contained 
in the cells of the areolar structure. In the earlier stages of 
pregnancy, there are two veins and two arteries contained in the 
umbilical cord, but after the fifth month one of these veins 
becomes absorbed in the other, forming one vein of consider- 


32 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


able size. The umbilical cord is attached to the centre of the 
placenta, the other end being attached to the navel or umbilicus 
of the child. 

Through this cord the blood of the foetus is continually pass¬ 
ing to and from the placenta, receiving the sustenance necessary 
for its nourishment from the blood of the mother. The mother s 
blood does not pass into the child, but by a process known as 
osmosis, the salts and oxygen necessary for the nourishment 
of the child pass from the blood contained in the maternal blood 
vessels, through their membranes, into the blood contained-in the 
vessels of the child. The blood of the child, thus charged with 
the necessary nourishment, returns again to be circulated 
through the tissues of the growing embryo; thus the child is 
nourished until the period of gestation is passed, and the child 
fully matured is ready to be delivered. 

THE GLANDS are the organs of the body designed by 
nature to separate certain kinds and qualities of fluid; they vary 
in size and locality, according to the kind and quality they are de¬ 
signed to separate. They are supplied with arteries for convey¬ 
ing the blood to them, and excretory ducts or canals, which 
go out of them and convey thence the excreted fluid. They also 
have veins for returning the blood to the circulation after the se¬ 
cretion is accomplshed. 

They are in some cases also provided with a reservoir for 
storing the secretions. 

The liver is the largest gland in the body and is supplied 
with arteries, veins, ducts and a reservoir (gall bladder). 



PLATE 4. 


Relation of the Principal Blood=vessels of the Thorax 
and Abdomen to the Osseous Skeleton, etc. 

A —Arch of the aorta. 

BB-Descending thoracic, part of the aorta giving off 6,-b, the intercostal arteries. 

C—Abdominal part of aorta. 

1 ) 1 )— First pair of ribs. 

E—The xyphoid cartilage. 

F— Right crus of diaphragm. 

GG*— Right and left kidneys. 

H— Brachio-cephalic artery. 

I—Left common carotid artery. 

K —Left subclavian artery. 

E—Right common iliac artery at its place of division. 

>1—Left common iliac artery, seen through the meso-rectum. 

N—Inferior vena cava. 

OO— Sigmoid flexure of the colon. 

P—The rectum. 

Q —Urinary bladder. 

K—Right iliac fossa. 

SS—Right and left ureters. 

T-Left common iliac vein, joining the right under the right common iliac artery to 
form the inferior vena cava. 

C—Fifth lumbar vertebra. 

V—External iliac artery of right side. 

IV—The symphysis pubis. 

X—An incision made over the locality of the femoral artery- 

bb—The dorsal intercostal arteries. 

c—The cceliac axis. 

d—Superior mesenteric artery. 

ff—Renal arteries. 

g—Inferior mesenteric artery. 

h—The vas deferens, bending over the epigastric artery and the os pubis, after having 
passed through the internal abdominal ring. 




Chapter IV. 


THE VASCULAR SYSTEM. 

The vascular system consists of the heart, arteries, capilla¬ 
ries, veins and lymphatics, dhe heart has already been described 
m another part of this work, and no further description will be 
needed here. 

ARTERIES. 

The arteiies are tubular vessels which serve to con¬ 
vey blood from both ventricles of the heart to the extremities of 
the body or to the capillaries. The pulmonary artery arises 
from the right ventricle of the heart as a common stock, about 
two inches long, dividing into the right and left pulmonary ar'te- 
iics, dieir function being to carry impure blood to the lungs for 
purification. I hese are the only arteries which carry venous 
blood, d his circulation, by which the venous blood is carried to 
the lungs, and after purification brought back by the pulmonary 
veins to the left auricle of the heart, is called the lesser, or pul¬ 
monary, circulation. 

i HE GREAT AORTA, the trunk in which all the 
arteries of the body have their origin, springs from the left ven¬ 
tricle of the heart, and through its branches conveys the arterial 
or pure blood to the capillaries, from Which it is taken up by the 
veins and carried back to the right auricle of the heart. This is 
called the systemic circulation. 

The arterial system can best be understood by the student 
if he will keep in his mind a fir tree and imagine that this tree is 
hollow in the trunk, limbs, boughs and fir; the aorta answering 
for the trunk, the branches coming off from the aorta for the 
limbs, the branches of those arteries for the boughs, the arte- 




34 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


rioles (the connecting links between arteries and capillaries) for 
the branches, and the capillary vessels for the fir. 

Again, imagine that the limbs on this peculiar tree freely 
anastomose (join together by connecting branches), and that the 
fir is intertwined and connected together until it forms a com¬ 
plete network, and you have the arterial and capillary system 
complete. 

The aorta, the main trunk of this arterial tree, commences 
at the left ventricle of the heart, and parsing upward and to the 
left, then descending, forms what is known as the arch of the 
aorta. That part of the aorta which passes upward from the left 
ventricle is called the ascending arch; that part which passes to 
the left, the transverse arch; that part which descends, the de¬ 
scending aorta, and all that part above the diaphragm is called 
the thoracic aorta. After passing through the aortic opening in 
the diaphragm, this great vessel is called the abdominal aorta, 
which descends and becomes smaller as it passes lower down, 
finally dividing just opposite the fourth lumbar vertebra into the 
right and left common iliac arteries. 

The aorta therefore is divided into three parts, the arch, the 
thoracic aorta and the abdominal aorta. The branches of the 
arch of the aorta are five in number: the innominate, left caro¬ 
tid and left subclavian from the transverse portion and the right 
and left coronary arteries from the ascending portion of the 
arch. 

The branches of the thoracic aorta are the pericardiac, bron¬ 
chial, oesophageal, posterior mediastinal and interco'stals. 

THE INNOMINATE ARTERY rises from the right side 
of the arch of the aorta and passes upward from one and one- 
half to two inches to the junction of the sternum and clavicle, 
where it divides into the right common carotid and right sub¬ 
clavian. 

THE RIGHT COMMON CAROTID ARTERY ascends 
obliquely between the trachea and sterno mastoid muscle until 
directly opposite the eppiglotis (Adam’s apple), where it divides 
into the external and internal carotid arteries. 

THE LEFT COMMON CAROTID ARTERY differs 
from the right only in its origin, which is at the anterior middle of 
the arch of the aorta instead of from the innominate artery (there 



PLATE 5 


Deep Dissection of Throat and Abdomen. 


A —The thyroid body. 

B—The trachea. 

CC* —The first ribs. 

DD* —The clavicles, cut at middle. 

E—Humeral part of great pectoral muscle, cut. 

F—Coracoid process of the scapula. 

G—Arch of the aorta; G,* descending aorta in throat. 

H— Right bronchus; H,* left bronchus. 

1— CEsophagus. 

K—Vena azygos, receiving the intercostal veins. 

E—Thoracic duct. 

MM*—Seventh ribs. 

NN—Diaphragm in section. 

O—Cardiac orifice of stomach. 

P—Liver in section, showing patent orifices of hepatic veins. 

**—Cceliac axis, sending off branches to liver, stomach and spleen. The stomach has 
been removed to show the looping anastomosis of these vessels around the 
superior and inferior borders of the stomach. 

B—Inferior vena cava, about to enter its notch in the posterior thick part of the liver, 
to receive the hepatic veins. 

S—Gall-bladder, communicating by its c'uct with the hepatic duct, which is lying upon 
the vena portae, and by the side of the hepatic artery. 

T—The pyloric end of stomach, joining T,* duodenum. 

U—The spleen. 

W—The pancreas. 

W—The sigmoid flexure of colon. 

X—The caput coli. 

V—The mesentery, supporting the numerous looping branches of the superior mesen¬ 
teric artery. 

Z—Some coils of the small intestine. 

2— Innominate artery. 

3— Right subclavian artery. 

4— Right common carotid artery. 

5— Left subclavian artery. 

6— Left common carotid artery. 

7— Left axillary artery. 

8— Coracoid attachment of the smaller pectoral muscle. 

9— Subscapular muscle. 

10— Coracoid head of the biceps muscle. 

11— Tendon of the latissimus dorsi muscle. 

1 2—Superior mesenteric artery, with its accompanying vein. 

1 3—Left kidney. 














THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


35 


being no innominate artery on the left side of the arch), there¬ 
fore it is hardly necessary to enter into any further description of 
that vessel. 

The common carotid arteries usually have no branches, but 
they occasionally give origin to the vertebral, and sometimes to 
the superior and inferior thyroid. * 

THE EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL CAROTID AR¬ 
TERIES, the divisions of the common carotids, have eight 
branches each, some of which it 'is well for the embalmer to be 
acquainted with, as they convey the fluid to very important 
parts of the body. The branches of the external carotid arteries 
are the superior thyroid, lingual, facial, internal maxillary, tem¬ 
poral, occipital, posterior auricular and ascending pharyngeal. 
The first important branch of the external carotid artery is the 
facial, often very appropriately called the tortuous facial artery. 
It arises just below the lower jaw, extends upward and 
passes over the cheek to the angle of the mouth, giving off 
branches in its passage. It is very tortuous and in many places 
very superficial. When the body is being injected rapidly, this 
artery and its branches may be seen to enlarge to a considerable 
extent. 

The internal carotid artery, like the external, commences 
at the division of the common carotid, and running perpendicu¬ 
larly upward passes through the carotid canal and enters the 
skull. Still passing upward it enters the cavernous sinus, pierces 
the dura mater and divides into its terminal branches. This 
vessel supplies the anterior portion of the brain, the eye and its 
appendages. It is remarkable for its many curvatures, which are 
probably intended to lessen the rapidity of the current of blood 
in its passage to the brain. The internal carotid artery, like the 
external, has eight branches, four of which supply the brain, the 
balance supplying the petrous and cavernous portions of the 
head. 

THE CIRCLE OF WILLIS.—The branches of the inter¬ 
nal carotid and the vertebral arteries anastomose at the base of 
the brain in such a manner as to form a sort of circle, called the 
circle of Willis. It is formed in front by (the anterior cerebral 
and the anterior communicating arteries, on each side by the 
trunk of the internal carotid and the posterior communicating, 


36 


4 

THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 

behind by the posterior cerebral and the point of the basilar. 
By this anastomosis, iit is said, the circulation of the brain is 
equalized. It has long been taught that it is by piercing this 
-circle that an arterial circulation is obtained by the so-called 
needle process of embalming. The fallacy of this teaching will 
be shown later on. 

THE SUBCLAVIAN ARTERIES.—The right 'subclavian 
artery arises from the innominate artery, at its bifurcation at the 
junction of the sternum and collar bone. The left subclavian 
arises from the highest part of the arch of the aorta. On the 
right side this artery ascends obliquely outward from its origin. 
On the left it ascends vertically to the same point. They 
then pass outward, across the roots of the neck, under the clavicle 
or collar bone to the lower border of the first rib, where they 
enter the axillary space and become the axillary arteries. 

The branches of the subclavian artery are four in number, 
the vertebral being its largest branch, and the only one in which 
the embalmer need be particularly interested. This branch en¬ 
ters the interior of the skull, through the foramen magnum, at 
the back of the head, and forms a part of the circle of Willis bt 
anastomosing with the internal carotid artery. 

THE AXILLARY ARTERY is a continuation of the sub¬ 
clavian ; commences at the termination of the latter vessel and 
passes outward towards the arm for about two' inches, where it 
becomes the brachial artery. 

The branches of the axillary artery are seven in number, 
none of which are of any particular interest to the embalmer. 

THE BRACHIAL ARTERY^ commences at the termina¬ 
tion of the axillary artery and passes along the base of the biceps 
muscle, terminating about one-half inch below the bend of the 
elbow, where it divides into the radial and ulnar arteries. 

This artery is one of great importance to- embalmers, as it 
is more generally used for injecting than any other artery in the 
body; consequently considerable space will be given to its con¬ 
sideration. 

This artery is superficial throughout its entire course, and is 
very easily raised when once the embalmer has become well ac¬ 
quainted with the vessel and its accompanying veins and nerve. 
The course of the artery may be found by drawing a string from 



PLATE 6 


Dissection of the Axilla. 


A—Axillary vein, drawn apart from the artery to show the nerves lying between both 
vessels. On the bicipital border of the vein is seen the internal cutaneous 
nerve . on the tricipital border is the nerve of Wrisberg, communicating 
with some of the intercosto-humeral nerves; a, the common trunk cf the 
venae comites, entering the axillary vein. 

B— Axillary artery crossed by one root of the median nerve: b, basilic vein forming with 
a, the axillary vein, A. 

C—Coraco-brachialis muscle. 

D —Coracoid head of biceps muscle. 

E—Pectoralis major muscle. 

F—Pectoralis minor muscle. 

(i —Serratus magnus muscle, covered by g, the axillary fascia, and perforated at regu¬ 
lar intervals by nervous branches called intercosto-humeral. 

Conglobate gland, crossed by nerve called “external respiratory’’ of Bell, distribu¬ 
ted to the serratus magnus muscle. This nerve descends from the cervical 
plexus. 

I—Subscapular artery. 

K—Tendon of latissimus dorsi muscle. 

E—Teres major muscle. 






























THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


37 


the anterior middle of (the axillary space to a point midway be¬ 
tween the condyles of the humerus, which corresponds to the 
depression at the base of the biceps muscle. 

The branches of the brachial artery are the superior pro¬ 
funda, nutrient, inferior profunda, anastomotica magna, and 
muscular branches. These branches freely anastomose with each 
other by subdivisions, and also with the radial and ulnar arteries. 
The brachial artery is accompanied by its venae comites (accom¬ 
panying veins), one on either side of the* artery, and also by the 
median nerve. The basilic vein is separated from the brachial 
artery by the bicipital fascia. 

The median nerve accompanies the artery as far as the 
lower third of the biceps muscles, where it becomes separated 
from this vessel by about one-quarter of an inch. 

To make the relative positions of the muscle, artery and 
nerve plain to the reader, we will divide the muscle into three 
parts—the upper, lower and the middle third. In the upper third 
of the muscle the nerve will be found at its base and the artery 
just inside of it (calling that side next to the body the inner side), 
in the middle third of the muscle the nerve usually crosses the 
artery, and in the lower third the artery will be found nearly 
one-sixteenth of an inch outside of the nerve. There are more 
abnormal conditions to be found in the brachial artery than in 
any other vessel used by embalmers. 

Regarding the divisions of the brachial artery the student 
must bear in mind that, while the usual place of bifurcation is 
about one-half inch below the bend of the elbow, the artery quite 
frequently divides in its upper part, so that two brachial arteries 
will sometimes be found instead of one. In this case they will 
usually be found one on either side of the median nerve. 

It matters not which of these arteries is used by the operator, 
as they join in the upper part of the brachial or lower portion 
of the axillary artery into one vessel. 

It 'sometimes happens that the brachial artery is found 
concealed by a muscular slip, which is usually derived from the 
biceps muscle. Occasionally in the upper third the vessel has 
been found concealed for from two to three inches by a muscular 
layer derived from the coraco-brachialis muscle. This condition is 
usually the result of hard labor, being most often found in men 


38 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


who follow laborious callings, such as blacksmiths and stone 
cutters, who, by constantly exercising the muscles in striking, 
develop the slip. This abnormal condition has often been a 
source of annoyance and perplexity to the embalmer, and even 
to the skilled surgeon. 

THE RADIAL ARTERY, the smaller of the two 
divisions of the brachial, commences at the bifurcation of that 
vessel, about one-half inch below 'the bend of the elbow, and 
passes on the radial or thumb side of the forearm between the two 
muscles to the wrist, where iin life the pulse is usually felt. The 
radial artery is superficial in almost its entire extent, but more 
particularly in the lower third of its course. T his vessel has 
no veins except venae comites, which are very small, and give .the 
embalmer no trouble. The radial artery has twelve branches, 
none of which are of any importance to embalmers. In my judg¬ 
ment this vessel offers many facilities 'to the embalmer. First, 
as it is very superficial it can be secured with little mutilation; 
second, the amateur embalmer can make no mistake while se¬ 
curing this artery, as any vessel he finds there into which he can 
insert a tube must be the radial artery; lastly, this vessel being 
very small, the operator must necessarily use a small tube and 
cannot, if he would, inject rapidly, which is an error too often 
made by embalmers. 

THE ULNAR ARTERY, the other division of the bra¬ 
chial, is the larger of the two*, but, as it is much more 
deeply seated and harder to secure, it is seldom used by em¬ 
balmers. It can, however, be used to advantage if raised in the 
lower part of the wrist. This artery commences at the bifurca¬ 
tion of the brachial and passes along the inner side of the fore¬ 
arm obliquely inward to the commencement of its lower half. It 

then runs along its ulnar border to the wrist on the little finger 
side of the arm. It can be found 1 between the tendons of the 

muscles, just external to the flexor carpi ulnaris. 

THE PALMAR ARCHES.—The superficial palmar arch 
is that part of the ulnar artery lying in the palm of the hand, and 
anastomosing with branches from the radial. It gives off four 
branches, the digital, to the sides of the fingers, except the inside 
of the index finger, which is supplied by another branch. The 
deep palmar arch is formed by the palmar portion of the 



PLATE 7 


Superficial and Deep Dissection of the Bend of the 
Elbow and Forearm. 


FIG. J. 

A—Fascia, covering the biceps muscle. 

B—Basilic vein, with internal cutaneous nerve. 

C—Brachial artery, with the vena; comites. 

D—Cephalic vein, with the external cutaneous nerve; d, the median nerve. 
F—A communicating vein, joining the vena; comites. 

F—Median basilic vein. 

G—Lymphatic gland. 

H—Radial artery at its middle. 

I—Radial artery of the pulse. 

K— Ulnar artery, with ulnar nerve. 

I.—Palmaris brevis muscle. 


FIG. 2. 

A—Biceps muscle. 

H —Basilic vein, cut. 

C— Brachial artery. 

I)—Median nerve; d, ulnar nerve. 

K—Brachialis anticus muscle; f, the internal condyle. 

F —Origin of radial artery. 

G—Supinator radii longus muscle. 

H—Aponeurosis of the tendon of the biceps muscle. 

I—Pronator radii teres muscle. 

K— Flexor carpi ulnaris muscle. 

L—Flexor carpi radialis muscle. 

M—Palmaris longus muscle. 

N—Radial artery at middle, with radial nerve on outer side. 
O— Flexor digitorum sublimis. 

P—Flexor pollicis longus. 

Q —Median nerve. 

R— Lower end of radial artery. 

S—Lower end of ulnar artery, in company with ulnar nerve. 
T —Pisiform bone. 

U—Extensor metacarpi pollicis. 












/■ 













































































































































THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


39 


radial artery anastomosing with the deep or communicating 
branch of the ulnar. It gives off six branches, none of which are 
of any importance to the embalmer. 

THE CORONARY ARTERIES are two in number, the 
right and the left. They arise from the aorta, behind the semi¬ 
lunar valves, and wind through the ventricular grooves of the 
heart, the left artery in front, to supply the tissues of that organ. 

THE BRONCHIAL ARTERIES supply the lungs with 
pure blood. These arteries vary in number and origin. Those 
from the right side arise from the intercostal artery, or from a 
common stock with the left bronchial from the front of the 
aorta. These are the nutrient vessels of the lungs and are the 
first arteries to carry the fluid to those organs when the body is 
being injected. 

THE ESOPHAGEAL ARTERIES are the nutrient ves¬ 
sels of the oesophagus. They are four or five in number, and 
arise from the top of the aorta, pass obliquely downward to the 
oesophagus, anastomosing and forming a chain along that tube. 

THE INTERCOSTAL ARTERIES arise from the back 
part of the aorta. They are usually ten in number on each side, 
and are distributed to the intercostal muscles. 

The branches of the abdominal aorta are as follows:—the 
coeliac axis and its divisions (the gastric, hepatic, and splenic), 
the superior and inferior mesenteric, supra-renal, renal, sper¬ 
matic, lumbar and sacra media. 

THE CCELIAC AXIS arises just below the diaphragm, 
comes forward half an inch and divides into the gastric, hepatic 
and splenic arteries, occasionally giving off one of the phrenics. 

THE GASTRIC ARTERY supplies the stomach along its 
lesser curvature, anastomosing with the aortic,. oesophageal, 
splenic and hepatic branches. 

THE HEPATIC ARTERY supplies the liver and divides 
in the transverse fissure into many branches, supplying the dif¬ 
ferent lobes of that organ. 

THE SPLENIC ARTERY supplies the spleen and a part 
of the stomach, and is the largest of the three divisions of the 
coeliac axis. Before entering the spleen this artery divides into 
three branches, some of which enter the spleen and supply the 
substance of that organ, while others are distributed to the 
stomach. 


40 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


THE PHRENIC ARTERIES are two in number, one on 
either side, usually only one arising from the aorta, the other 
springing from either the coeliac axis or the renal artery. They 
pass to the under surface of the diaphragm. 

THE MESENTERIC ARTERIES.—The superior mes¬ 
enteric artery supplies most of the small intestines, the caecum, 
ascending and transverse colon. It arises about one-quarter inch 
below the coeliac axis and arches forwards, downwards, and to 
the left, giving off four branches. This vessel is of large size, hav¬ 
ing many branches which ramify over the intestines. This should 
be borne in mind by the embalmer when considering the advisa¬ 
bility of puncturing the bowels; and he should never do so until 
his arterial work has been done and the fluid has had time to be¬ 
come absorbed, unless it is strictly necessary, which seldom hap¬ 
pens. The inferior mesenteric artery supplies the descending 
colon, sigmoid flexure and most of the rectum, giving off three 
branches, which, like the branches of the superior mesenteric, 
ramify in the walls of these intestines, supplying them with pure 
blood. ji! : ;f 

THE RENAL ARTERIES, two in number, arise one from 
either side of the aorta, just below the mesenteric, and pass to the 
kidneys, entering them at the hilum. They are very large ves¬ 
sels, considering the size of the organs which they supply; there¬ 
fore when arterial embalming has been done there is very little 
danger of these organs not receiving a sufficient supply of fluid, 
but, when cavity embalming is depended on to do the work, it 
must be borne in mind that the kidneys are covered by the peri¬ 
toneum, which, being impervious to fluid (or nearly so), is very 
liable to cause these organs to be left without preservatives. 

THE SUPRA-RENAL ARTERIES arise from either side 
of the aorta, opposite the origin of the superior mesenteric, 
passing to> the supra-renal capsules and supplying those organs. 

THE SPERMATIC ARTERIES arise one on each side of 
the aorta, and pass through the inguinal canal to the testes in the 
male, to the ovaries, the uterus, and the skin of the labia and 
groins in the female, supplying those parts. 

THE LUMBAR ARTERIES are usually four on each side 
of the aorta. They each divide into two branches, 



PLATE 8 


Dissection of Principal Blood-vessels and Nerves of 
the Iliac and Femoral Regions. 


A—The aorta at its point of bifurcation. 

B—Anterior superior iliac spine. 

C—The symphysis pubis. 

I)—Poupart’s ligament, immediately above which are seen the circumflex iliac and 
epigastric arteries, with the vas deferens and spermatic vessels. 

EE*—Right and left iliac muscles, covered by the peritonaeum; the external cutaneous 
nerve is seen through the membrane- 

F—The vena cava. 

GG*—The common iliac arteries giving off the internal iliac branches on the sacro¬ 
iliac symphyses: the right and left ureters. 

HH* —Right and left common iliac veins. 

II—Right and left external iliac arteries; each is crossed by the circumflex iliac vein. 

KK—Right and left external iliac veins. 

L—Urinary bladder, covered by peritonaeum. 

M—The rectum intestinum. 

>'—The profundus branch of femoral artery. 

O—Femoral vein; o , saphena vein. 

I’—Anterior crural nerve. 

O—Sartorius muscle, cut. 

S—Pectinaeus muscle. 

T—Adductor longus muscle. 

U—The gracilis muscle- 

V—The tendinous sheath given off from the long adductor muscle, crossing the ves 
sels, and becoming adherent to the vastus internus muscle (forming 
Hunter's Canal). 

W—Femoral artery. The letter is on the part where the vessel becomes first covered 
by the sartorius muscle. 








THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


4i 


THE COMMON ILIAC ARTERIES, the divisions of the 
abdominal aorta, extend from the bifurcation of that vessel at the 
fourth lumbar vertebra, downward and outward about two 
inches, where they each divide into the external and internal iliac 
arteries. 

THE INTERNAL ILIAC ARTERY is about one and one- 
half inches long and descends into the pelvis, where, with its 
branches, it supplies the bladder in the male, the bladder and 
womb in the female, together with a part of the generative 
organs. 

THE EXTERNAL ILIAC ARTERY, a continuation of 
the common iliac, extends to beneath the center of Poupart’s 
ligament, where it enters the thigh and becomes the femoral 
artery. 

THE FEMORAL ARTERY, a continuation of the exter¬ 
nal iliac, commences at the termination of that vessel just behind 
Poupart’s ligament and extends downward along the fore part 
and inner side of the thigh for about two-thirds its length, where 
it becomes the popliteal artery. The femoral artery lies in the 
middle of a triangular space which is known as Scarpa’s triangle, 
the outer side of which is formed by a long muscle called sarto- 
rius, the inner side by the adductor longus, and above by Pou¬ 
part’s ligament. Directions for locating and raising this and 
other arteries used by embalmers will be given in another part of 
this work. 

THE POPLITEAL ARTERY commences at the termina¬ 
tion of the femoral and passes obliquely downwards and out¬ 
wards behind the knee joint to the popliteus muscle, where it di¬ 
vides into two branches, the anterior and posterior tibial arteries. 

THE ANTERIOR TIBIAL ARTERY commences at the 
bifurcation of the popliteal and extends to the front of the ankle 
joint, where it becomes the dorsalis pedis artery. The embalmer 
wishing to use this artery will find it located in the lower third of 
the leg just in front of the tibia. It is covered in the upper part of 
its course by the muscles which lie on either side of it, and is 
accompanied by its venae comites. This vessel is of little or no 
value to embalmers, as it is often much diminished in size and 
sometimes may be altogether wanting. 

THE POSTERIOR TIBIAL ARTERY, the largest 


42 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


branch of the popliteal, commences at the bifurcation of that ves¬ 
sel and descends obliquely to the heel, where it divides into* the 
external and internal plantar arteries. 

THE INTERNAL PLANTAR ARTERY.—This artery 
is the smaller of the terminating branches of the posterior tibial 
and passes along the inner side of the foot and toe. 

THE EXTERNAL PLANTAR ARTERY sweeps across 
the plantar aspect of the foot in a curve, the convexity of which 
is directed outward and forward; and at the interval between the 
bases of the first and second metatarsal bones it inosculates with 
the communicating branch from the pedis dorsal, forming the 
plantar arch. This artery has numerous branches. 

CAPILLARIES. 

The capillaries are minute blood vessels forming a net¬ 
work throughout the entire tissues of the body, between the 
terminating arteries (or arterioles) and the commencing veins. 
Their average diameter is about one-thirty-five hundredths of an 
inch. Their walls consist of a transparent membrane, continuous 
with the innermost layer of the arterial and venous walls. 

VEINS. 

Veins are the vessels whose function is to return the blood 
from the capillaries to the heart. The veins of the body may be 
divided as follows: pulmonary and systemic, superficial and 
deep. Like arteries, veins are found in all parts of the body. 
They have their origin in the capillaries, or rather in a minute 
plexus which communicates with the capillaries. These branches 
which originate in the plexuses unite to form larger ves¬ 
sels, and these, in their passage toward the heart, are con¬ 
stantly receiving branches and grow in size as they receive and 
join with other veins, until they finally terminate in the venae 
cavae. Like arteries, veins have three coats, but the coats are 
much thinner than those of arteries, owing to the fact that they 
have much less of muscular and elastic tissue in their composi¬ 
tion. The veins being larger and much more numerous than the 
arteries it follows that their capacity is much greater. In a work 
of this kind it is not necessary to give a long description of the 
venous system; I shall therefore confine myself to a short de- 



PLATE 9 


Dissection of the Anterior Crural Region, the Ankle 
and the Foot. 


FIG. J. 

A—Tendon of the tibialis anticus muscle. 

B—Long saphena vein. 

EC—Tendon of the tibialis posticus muscle. 

1)—'The tibia; d, the inner malleolus. 

EE—Tendon of the flexor longus digitorum muscle. 
E—Gastrocnemius muscle; b, tendo-Achillis. 

<1—Soleus muscle. 

H—Tendon of the plantaris muscle. 

II —The venae comites. 

E K—Posterior tibial artery. 

LI—Posterior tibial nerve. 


Dissection of Inner and Posterior Aspect of Ankle 
and Lower Third of Leg. 


FIG. 2. 

A—Tibialis anticus muscle; a , its tendon. 

B—Extensor longus digitorum muscle; b,b,b,b, its four tendons. 

<'—Extensor longus pollicis muscle. 

I)l>—The tibia. 

E—The fibula; e, the outer malleolus. 

FE—Tendon of the peronacus longus muscle. 

CO—Peronasus brevis muscle; z‘, the peronaeus tertius. 

HH —The fascia. 

K—Extensor brevis digitorum muscle: k,k. its tendons. 

LL- Anterior tibial artery, and nerve descending to the dorsum of the foot. 



















THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


43 


scription of those veins with which, in my judgment, it is neces¬ 
sary for the embalmer to be acquainted, which are principally 
those that accompany the arteries used by embalmers, and those 
which are, or can be, effectually used for drawing blood. 

THE PULMONARY VEINS are distinguished from all 
other veins of the body by the fact that they convey pure blood 
from the lungs, where they originate, to the left auricle of the 
heart. All other veins carry impure blood. 

THE SYSTEMIC VEINS include all the veins of the 
body except the pulmonary and portal veins, the latter 'system 
being an appendage of the systemic. 

THE PORTAL VEINS are the superior and inferior mes¬ 
enteric, splenic and gastric veins. They collect the blood from 
the digestive organs, and by their union behind the head of the 
pancreas form the portal vein, which enters the transverse fissure 
of the liver, where it divides into two branches. These, again, 
subdivide, ramifying throughout that organ, therein receiving 
blood from the branches of the hepatic artery. Its contents enter 
the inferior vena cava by the hepatic vein. The portal vein is 
about four inches long. It receives the gastric and cystic veins, 
and is formed by the union of the superior mesenteric and 
splenic veins; the inferior mesenteric joining the splenic, which 
also receives one of the gastric, the other emptying into the por¬ 
tal. These veins are often called the food veins. 

THE SUPERFICIAL VEINS are found between the 
layers of superficial fascia just beneath the skin. These veins are 
unaccompanied by arteries and communicate with the deep veins 
by branches, which pierce the deep fascia or sheath in which 
these vessels are contained. 

THE DEEP VEINS accompany the arteries and are found 
in the same sheath with those vessels. The smaller arteries, as a 

rule, are accompanied by two veins, one on either side of the 
artery. They are usually known by the same name as the vessel 

which they accompany, but are often called venae comites, which 
means accompanying veins. 

THE CEREBRAL VEINS are remarkable for their ab¬ 
sence of valves and for their extremely thin coat. The super¬ 
ficial cerebral veins are situated on the surface of the hemispheres 
of the brain lying in the grooves of the convolusions. They are 


44 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


named from the positions they occupy upon the surface of this 
organ, either superior or inferior, internal or external, anterior 
or posterior. Th'ey originate in the capillaries and terminate in 
the sinuses of the dura mater. 

The sinuses of the dura mater terminating in the torcular 
Herophili are of much interest to the embalmer, on account of 
the necessity of. his being acquainted with the so-called needle 
processes of embalming. They are six in number, and are called 
the superior longitudinal, the straight, the two lateral, and the 
occipital. Their outer coat is formed by the dura mater, and their 
inner coat by a continuation of the lining membrane of the veins. 

THE SUPERIOR LONGITUDINAL SINU^ begins in 
what is known as the foramen caecum, at the roots of the nose, 
and runs over the central portion of the brain between the right 
and left hemispheres to the back of the skull, and terminates in 
the torcular Herophili (a deep groove in the occipital bone, often 
called the wine-press). 

THE INFERIOR LONGITUDINAL SINUS, much 
smaller than the superior, commences at a point just below that 
vessel and, passing backward in the same manner, terminates in 
the straight sinus, which also enters into the torcular Herophili. 

THE LATERAL SINUSES are of large size. They com¬ 
mence at the torcular Herophili and pass horizontally outward 
on either side of the head to the temporal bone, terminating in 
the internal jugular veins. 

THE OCCIPITAL SINUSES, two in number, commence 
in small veins, Which communicate with the posterior veins, and 
terminate at the groove in the occipital bone's, called the torcu¬ 
lar (wine-press) Herophili. 

These sinuses receive the blood from the veins of the head 
and brain, and it is returned, largely through the internal jugulars, 
to the heart. These vessels, or channels, receive all of the cerebral 
veins. The student who is anxious to understand the so-called 
needle processes of embalming and wishes to' do that work 
understanding^, should carefully study the cerebral vessels, 
especially the sinuses, and also the brain ; then he will understand 
the advantages to be derived from these processes, and also 
realize the futility of attempting to' embalm the entire body by 
any of these methods, no matter how widely advertised they 
may be. 



Tarcular 

J2v roj)h*U- 


Foramen Caecum 


Sinuses of the Dura Mater. 















THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


45 


THE INTERNAL JUGULAR VEIN receives the blood 
from the cranium, face and neck. It has its origin at the base 
of the skull and is formed by the junction of the lateral and 
inferior petrosal sinuses. It passes vertically down the sides of 
the neck, on the outer side of the common carotid arteries, and 
joins the subclavian vein, forming the veins known as the venae 
innominatae, which unite it with the superior vena cava, the great 
trunk vein of the upper portion of the body. This vein is often 
used in drawing blood, and is for this purpose the most efficient 
means that can be employed; the only objection to it being that 
it necessarily requires considerable mutilation in order to raise 
it to the surface. The internal jugular vein has two valves. 
These valves are so situated that they do not prevent the fluid 
injected from below from passing upwards. Therefore the face 
has often been discolored by injecting the basilic vein, which 
communicates directly with the internal jugular. 

THE VEINS OF THE UPPER EXTREMITIES.—They 
are in two sets, superficial and deep. The deep follow the same 
course as the arteries, usually as venae comites, and have their 
origin in the hand, beginning as digital interosseous and palmar 
veins. They unite in the deep radial and ulnar, which unite at 
the bend of the elbow to form the accompanying veins of the bra¬ 
chial artery. The superficial veins lie between the layers of the 
superficial fascia just beneath the skin. 

THE BASILIC VEIN is formed by the union of the 
common ulnar with the median basilic. It passes upward along 
the outer border of the triceps muscle, following the course of 
the brachial artery, and terminates in the axillary vein. This 
vein is often mistaken for the brachial artery, as, when empty, 
which sometimes happens, it is of about the same color, and 
being very nearly of the same size, can readily be mistaken for 
that vessel by anyone who is not well acquainted with the posi¬ 
tion of, and guides to, the artery. The use of this vein is consid¬ 
ered by some teachers of embalming as the best method of draw¬ 
ing blood from the body. But, while it is a neat and, in many 
cases, a successful method, all things considered, I do not think i!t 
as practical and convenient a rneanls of relieving a body of blood 
as tapping the internal jugular vein or drawing directly from the 
right auricle of the heart with a cardiac needle. 


46 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


THE AXILLARY VEIN is a continuation of the basilic, 
and accompanies the axillary artery, terminating immediately 
under the clavicle, or collar bone, where it becomes the sub¬ 
clavian vein. 

THE SUBCLAVIAN VEIN is a continuation of the 
axillary, which accompanies the subclavian artery until it joins 
with the internal jugular to form the innominate vein. 

THE VENE INNOMINATE (the innominate veins) 
are two large trunk veins placed one on each side of the roots 
of the neck, and connect the internal jugular veins with the 
superior vena cava. 

THE SUPERIOR VENA CAVA, the great trunk vein 
of the upper portion of the body, receives the blood from all that 
portion above the diaphragm. It is a short vein about two and 
one-half inches in length, formed by the junction of the two 
innominate veins. This vein commences at the junction of the 
first cartilage with the sternum, and, descending, enters the 
pericardium above 'the heart and terminates in the right auricle. 

THE CARDIAC VEINS.—They are the great cardiac, 
posterior cardiac, anterior cardiac, and the venae thebesii. The 
function of these veins is to return the blood from the substance 
of the heart to the right auricle. 

THE VEINS OF THE LOWER EXTREMITIES 
commence in the venae comites of the anterior and posterior 
tibial and peroneal arteries, which collect the blood from 
the deep parts of the foot and leg and unite in the popliteal, 
which becomes the femoral vein. 

THE FEMORAL VEIN is a continuation of the popliteal 
and accompanies the femoral artery to the commencement of 
that vessel at Poupart’s ligament. The extreme upper portion 
of this vessel lies just inside of the femoral artery. This is the 
point at which this vessel should be raised for the purpose of 
drawing blood, as it is more superficial and much larger in this 
portion than lower down. 

THE LONG SAPHENOUS VEIN.—This vein is of inter¬ 
est to embalmers only on account of the fact that it sometimes 
crosses the femoral artery in its upper portion, and has often 
been mistaken for that vessel. It commences at the upper and 
inner side of (the foot and passes upwards until it terminates in 
the femoral vein at about one inch below Poupart’s ligament. It 


5j§# 




PLATE JO 


Dissection of the Wrist and Hand. 


FIG. J. 

A— Radial artery. 

IF —Median nerve; its branches. 

C—Ulnar artery, forming F, the superficial palmar arch. 

D—Ulnar nerve; E.e.c, its continuation, branching to the little and ring fingers, etc. 

G—Pisiform bone. 

H—Abductor muscle of the little finger. 

I—Tendon of flexor carpi radialis muscle. 

K—Opponens pollicis muscle. 

F—Flexor brevis muscle of the little finger. 

M—Flexor brevis pollicis muscle. 

>'—Abductor pollicis muscle. 

OOOO —Lumbricale muscles. 

PPPP— Tendons of the flexor digitorum sublimis muscle. 

Q—Tendon of the flexor longus pollicis muscle. 

IF—Tendon of extensor metacarpi pollicis. 

S—Tendons of extensor digitorum sublimis; P.P.P, their digital prolongations. 

T —Tendon of flexor carpi ulnaris. 

U—Union of the digital arteries at the tip of the fingers. 

FIG. 2. 

A—Radial artery. 

IF—' Tendons of the extensors of the thumb. 

C—Tendon of extensor carpi radialis. 

1>—Annular ligament. 

K—Deep palmar arch, formed by radial artery giving off e, the artery of the thumb. 

F—Pisiform bone. 

G—Ulnar artery, giving off the branch I, to join the deep palmar arch K, 0 f the radial 
artery. 

FI—Ulnar nerve: h, superfic al branches given to the fingers. Its deep palmar branch 
is seen lying on the interosseous muscles, M.M. 

K— Abductor minimi digiti. 

1j —Flexor brevis minimi digiti. 

M— Palmar interossei muscles. 

N—'Tendon of flexor digitorum sublimis and profundus, and the lumbricales rr.urclss. 
cut and turned down. 

O Tendon of flexor pollicis longus. 

I’— Cirpal end of the metacarpal bone of the thumb. 

























































THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


47 


can readily be seen that if this vein should be mistaken for the 
femoral artery and injected the result would, more than likely, 
be a discoloration of the face. 

THE COMMON ILIAC VEINS commence at the ter¬ 
mination of the femoral juslt below Poupart’s ligament, and 
accompany the iliac arteries to their termination at the com¬ 
mencement of the inferior vena cava. 

THE INFERIOR VENA CAVA is the great trunk vein 
of the lower portion of the body, and receives the blood from all 
that portion below the diaphragm. It commences at the junction 
of the two common iliac veins, near the fifth lumbar vertebra 
(fifth joint of the lumbar portion of the back bone) and passes 
upward on the right side of the aorta, under the liver, and pierc¬ 
ing the diaphragm, enters the pericardium, and terminates at the 
back and lower portion of the right auricle of the heart. This 
vessel has no valves other than the remains of the eustachian 
valves, which are situated at the entrance to the right auricle. 

LYMPHATICS. 

The lymphatics, so called from the word lympha (water), 
are minute, delicate vessels, of uniform size, and contain 
valves. They originate at the periphery (the outer circuit 
of the body), in a delicate network, which is distributed on 
the cutaneous surface of the body, on the surfaces of the various 
organs and throughout their internal structure. The function 
of these vessels is to- collect the products of digestion and the 
waste matter of nutrition and convey them to the thoracic duct, 
which in turn empties itself into the subclavian vein. 

The lymphatic system also includes the chyliferous vessels, 
which contain a milk-white fluid called chyle, which, during the 
process of digestion, is conveyed by them Ito the blood through 
the thoracic duct. As regards those materials deiiived directly 
from the blood, the lymph may be said to undergo' a true circula¬ 
tion, as there is a constant transudation at the peripheral portion 
of the vascular system of fluids, which are returned to the blood 
in the veins through the medium of the lymphatics. The lym¬ 
phatic vessels are smaller and much more numerous than the 
veins. They are often called 'the absorbent vessels, but it is a 
fact that the veins are the principal absorbents, as they absorb at 
least two-thirds of the detritus. 


Chapter V. 


THE BLOOD. 

Since the blood at (times has so great an influence in 
hastening putrefaction and causing discoloration of the body; 
it is well for the embalmer to possess at least a super¬ 
ficial knowledge of this fluid—its composition, its liability to 
coagulation, its tendency to discolor exposed parts of the body, 
its circulation, etc. The blood is an opaque fluid, of a rich, deep 
red hue, so peculiar that it may easily be distinguished by its 
color alone. It contains many different ingredients, of which by 
far the largest is water. Second, mineral substances and 
albuminous matter. The water of the blood gives it fluidity. 
When complete evaporation has taken place the solid substances 
remain a dry mass. The waiter of the blood, which forms at least 
three-quarters of the whole, unites all the other ingredients into 
a uniform liquid, which moves through the various vessels of the 
body and dissolves all of the substances which are absorbed from 
without. The most abundant mineral substance in the blood is 
sodium chloride (common salt), which is taken in with the food 
and forms a very necessary ingredient of all the tissues of the 
body. A combination of lime, which the bones and teeth require 
for their nourishment, is also found in the blood, but in very 
small quantity. The following table furnishes very nearly the 
exact composition of the blood in the human body: 

Composition of the blood in one thousand parts: 

Water.795 parts. 

Corpuscles.150 “ 

Albumen . 40 “ 

Fibrine. 2 “ 

Other animal matter. 5 “ 

Mineral substances. 8 Y 


a 


IOOO 










THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


49 


Such is the fluid condition and constitution of the blood 
while circulating in the human body; but if it be withdrawn from 
the blood vessels a change is Very soon apparent in its appearance. 
This change is coagulation, a phenomenon which is of vast im¬ 
portance to the embalmer, for when the blood coagulates in the 
body of the dead that we are called upon to preserve, it is'often 
inconvenient and at times very embarrassing. When the blood 
has been withdrawn from the body and coagulation has com¬ 
menced it goes on rapidly, growing thicker and thicker until 
it becomes a jelly-like mass. This change sometimes takes 
place in twenty minutes, at other times I have known the blood 
to remain in a fluid condition for several hours after having been 
withdrawn from the veins. The cause of this coagulation is that 
part of its substance called fibrine, which we have seen consti¬ 
tutes only two-thousandths of its composition. None of the other 
ingredients can solidify this way, and if some means could be de¬ 
vised of nullifying this ingredient in the blood so that it would not 
have the power of coagulation a large cause of embarrassment to 
the embalmer would be removed. This has often been attempted, 
and in many cases with some degree of success. A weak solu¬ 
tion of salt and water has sometimes been found to be effective. 
Nitre, sodium sulphate and magnesium sulphate, in a weak solu¬ 
tion, injected into the vena cava and the right auricle of the 
heart, by way of the needle process, or by injecting the basilic 
or internal jugular vein, I have found has a tendency to liquify 
coagulated blood in a dead body and facilitates its withdrawal 
from the heart. 

I am often asked to> explain why it is that blood will coagu¬ 
late in some dead bodies in a very few hours and in others re¬ 
main fluid for several days. To give a wholly satisfactory an¬ 
swer to this question is very difficult, as the disease which 
caused death has much to do with producing this effect. In 
typhoid fever and peritonitis we often find the blood coagulated, 
but this is not the rule, for I have frequently found blood in a 
fluid condition in bodies of persons who have died of these dis¬ 
eases. But fibrin is increased by fevers. 

Prof. Dalton, in his great work on physiology, in writing on 
this subject says: “The blood will coagulate not only when it is 
discharged externally, but even in the interior of the body, when- 


50 


THE PRACTICAL EMBAL'MER. 


ever it is withdrawn from the ordinary course of the circulation. 
Thus, if a bruise is received, and the little vessels beneath the skin 
are torn, the blood which flows from them coagulates in the neigh¬ 
borhood of the injury. Any internal bleeding produces, after a 
time, a clot in the corresponding situation where the blood is 
effused.” Thus in cases of death by accident, particularly a fall, 
we may look for coagulation of blood in the great vessels of the 
body. I have had occasion to operate on the body of a man who 
had committed suicide by hanging, and I found on attempting to 
inject the head by the needle process that the fluid would not flow; 
afterward, in dissecting the head, I found the blood coagulated 
into a solid mass in the sinuses of the dura mater. This probably 
took place immediately after death, and perhaps commenced dur¬ 
ing life, the reason being that the rope around the neck shut off 
the blood from passing into the great veins through the vessels 
situated in that part of the body. I found, however, but little 
coagulation of the blood in the vena cava or in the cavities of 
the heart. 

QUANTITY OF BLOOD IN THE HUMAN BODY.— 
The quantity of the blood varies much in different individuals. 
Some authorities give the quantities of the blood at about one- 
thirteenth of the whole weight of the body. Others (and I think 
this is probably correct) give it as about one-eighth, so- that in 
a man weighing -one hundred and forty pounds the quantity of 
blood is very nearly eighteen pounds. This would probably give 
about nine quarts, fluid measure. The quantity of the blood, as 
well as its composition, varies at different times and under dif¬ 
ferent conditions. Soon after digestion it is found in increased 
quantities, because it has absorbed the materials of nutrition 
taken from the food and must carry it to the tissues. After this 
becomes a part of the tissues the blood is correspondingly 
diminished in quantity. For the same reason its composition 
changes to a certain extent, since its different ingredients will 
increase or diminish according as they have been absorbed or 
discharged in greater or less abundance. 

DIFFERENT KINDS OF BLOOD IN THE BODY.— 
The body has two kinds of blood, venous and arterial, or poison¬ 
ous and pure blood. That blood which circulates in the arteries 
and pulmonary veins is of a bright red color, having been purged 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


5i 


of carbonic acid gas during its passage through the lungs and 
having received oxygen from the air taken into them by the act 
of breathing. The venous blood is of a dark bluq color, it being 
loaded with effete, and therefore dead, material taken up during 
its passage through the capillaries. 

THE CIRCULATION OF THE BLOOD. 

The celebrated Dr. Harvey was the discoverer of the circu¬ 
lation of the blood. “Seeing,” said he, “that the blood passed 
from the arteries in abundance and emptied itself into the veins, 
unless these were to empty themselves in turn and the others be 
refilled, that ruptures of vessels everywhere would take place, 
which does not happen, I began to conjecture that there must 
be a circular motion of the blood; but this doctrine was so new 
and unheard of, that I feared much detriment would arise from 
the envy of some and that others would take part against me, 
so much does custom and doctrine, once received and deeply 
rooted, pervert the judgment. However, my resolution was 
bent to set this doctrine forth, trusting in the candor of those 
who love and search after truth.” 

No sooner had he published his discovery of the circulation 
of the blood than prejudice assailed him. Very few physicians 
believed his doctrine, and so great was the influence others 
exerted over the minds of the people that his practice began to 
decline, but he had the pleasure of outliving all of this ignorant 
prejudice and of hearing his enemies deny that they had ever 
disbelieved his doctrine. Today every schoolboy at the age of 
fifteen years who attends the public schools knows and under¬ 
stands the circulation of the blood. 

1 'he circulatory system consists of the heart and those blood 
vessels which serve to convey the blood from that organ to all 
parts of the body or to the capillaries, where, after serving as 
nutriment to the flesh, it is returned to the lungs for purifi¬ 
cation. By this movement of the blood in a continuous circuit, 
the materials absorbed from the food in the alimentary canal 
are conveyed to all the tissues of the body for their nourish¬ 
ment and growth. As the circulatory system consists of the 
heart, arteries, capillaries and veins, all of which have been 


52 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


briefly described in another part of this work, it will only be 
necessary here to give the different circulations of the blood in 
the. human body. 

I have often heard this question asked by embalmers: 
‘‘As the blood does not circulate except in the living body, and 
we have only to do with the dead, why should we be 
asked to take the trouble to learn the circulation?” I reply, 
every person who does anything should not only know how to 
do it well, but he should also understand why he does it and 
how it is accomplished. Now, a man whoi understands the circu¬ 
lation of the blood, and has a good general knowledge of the 
heart and vessels, by and through which it is accomplished, is in 
a mental condition to understand what he is doing while inject¬ 
ing the vascular system, and he will also better understand the 
various obstructions to be met with and complications that are lia¬ 
ble to arise in bodies that come under his( care. For these and for 
the further reason that the various examining boards in the differ¬ 
ent states often require the applicants for a state license to give 
the systemic circulation, I insert it here, together with the pul¬ 
monary, portal and foetal circulation, a knowledge) of all of which 
I consider necessary to the higher education of the embalmer. 

THE SYSTEMIC OR FULL CIRCULATION OF THE 
BLOOD.—As the movement of the blood is circular, we may 
begin either at the left or right side of the heart; but, as I think 
it is more readily comprehended by the beginner in the study of 
anatomy when the right auricle is selected as the starting point, 
we will commence there. Impelled by the force from behind, the 
venous blood passes from the right auricle through the tricuspid 
valves to the right ventricle. By the contraction of the muscular 
walls of the ventricle the blood is forced through the semilunar 
valves, which open to receive it, and passes along the pulmonary 
arteries to the lungs, where it is distributed into the capillaries 
which are formed by the division and subdivision of these 
arteries. While passing through these little vessels, the blood 
is exposed to, and receives the oxygen from, the air, throws off 
its carbonic acid gas, which it has received from the tissues, and 
is then gathered up by the! pulmonary veins, which arise from 
the capillaries of the lungs, and is carried to the left auricle of 
the heart, from which it is forced through the bicuspid or mitral 









, 








Pulmonary Circulation—Heart and Lungs 


A—Right auricle. 

B— Right ventricle. 

C—Left auricle. 

D—Left ventricle. 

EE—Lungs. 

F—Pulmonary artery. 

EG—Divisions of pulmonary arteries. 
HH—Innominate veins. 

I—Superior vena cava. 

•1 —Inferior vena cava. 

KK- Right and left carotid arteries. 
FI.— Right and left subclavian arteries. 
^1—Innominate artery. 

S—Thoracic aorta. 

O—Ascending arch of aorta. 

P—Transverse arch. 

GQ—Internal jugular veins. 

R—Subclavian vein. 

SS—Pulmonary veins. 






THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER, 


53 


valves into the left ventricle. By the muscular contraction of 
the walls of this chamber of the heart, the blood is pushed on its 
course through the semi-lunar valves, which are situated at the 
entrance to the aorta, into that great vessel, through the 
branches of which it is carried to every portion of the body and 
distributed through the capillaries, from which it is gathered up 
into the veins and carried to the venae cavae (the two< great veins 
of the body), through which it is again poured into the right 
auricle of the heart, thus completing the circulation. 

THE PULMONARY CIRCULATION is that which 
takes place between the two sides of the heart, or oerhaps I might 
better say, between the right and left sides of the heart and 
the lungs, and is as follows: The blood, having passed 
through the capillaries and given up its nutriment to the tissues, 
meanwhile having taken up the detritus of the body, and having 
been brought back through the veins to the right auricle of the 
heart, passes from that chamber through the tricuspid valves to 
the right ventricle, from the right ventricle through the semi¬ 
lunar valves and along the pulmonary arteries to the lungs, 
from which, after being purified, it is returned by the pulmonary 
veins to the left auricle of the heart, from which it passes 
through the bicuspid valves to the left ventricle, thus completing 
what is known as the pulmonary circulation, which, of course 
my readers will readily understand, is only a part of the systemic 
or general circulation. 

TPIE PORTAL CIRCULATION is that which takes 
place between the stomach, intestines, spleen and liver, through 
the mesenteric, splenic and gastric veins. It is of little im¬ 
portance to the embalmer, being almost wholly venous. It does, 
however, play a certain part in the distribution of fluid when 
introduced into the system through any one of the so-called 
needle processes of emblaming, but as that is explained else¬ 
where in this work I will not enter into any consideration of it 
here. 

THE FCETAL CIRCULATION is that which exists 
between what is known as the placenta (the after-birth) and the 
unborn child, through the umbilical cord, which is composed of 
two arteries and one vein that are twisted one around the other 
until they have the appearance of a cord, hence the name. 


54 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


The pure blood is brought from the placenta by the umbilical 
vein, which first enters the liver of the foetus where it divides 
into several branches, and is distributed to the different parts of 
that organ, then through another large branch it is carried to the 
inferior vena cava and thence to the right auricle. From 
the right auricle it passes through what is known as the 
foramen ovale into the left auricle. From the. left auricle it 
passes into the left ventricle and from the left ventricle into the 
aorta, whence it is distributed by means of the subclavian and 
carotid arteries to the head and upper extremities. From these 
parts the impure blood is returned by the superior vena cava to 
the right auricle, from this chamber to the right ventricle and 
from the right ventricle into the pulmonary artery. In the adult 
circulation the blood would now be carried to the lungs for 
purification, but in the foetus the lungs are solid, or very nearly 
so, therefore only a very small quantity of the blood passes into 
them. The greater portion passes into the descending aorta 
through what is known as the ductus artereosus. From the aorta 
a small quantity is distributed to the lower extremities, but by far 
the greater portion is conveyed by the internal iliacs and their 
branches to the arteries of the umbilical cord, through which it 
is returned to the placenta, where, after receiving oxygen and 
salts necessary for the growth and development of the child, it 
returns to it again by means of the umbilical vein. 

The student will notice that the foetal circulation differs 
very materially from that in the adult, in that it first passes to 
the liver, then to the auricles of the heart, thence to the right 
ventricle, after which the larger portion, having lost its nutri¬ 
tive qualities, passes back to the placenta for more nutriment 
from the mother’s blood. It will thus be seen that the placenta 
performs the double function of stomach and lungs for the child 
during gestation (the time the mother is carrying the child). 

DRAWING THE BLOOD* 

I am not one of those who have taught that blood is the 
greatest enemy of the embalmer and hence he should in all cases 
remove as much of it as possible from the body. There are 
times when it is very necessary to remove a portion of the blood; 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


55 


and we are occasionally called upon to care for bodies in which 
the conditions are such as to make it strictly necessary to remove 
as large a portion as possible. My opinion, based upon practice, 
observation and knowledge of the constituents and fermentable 
elements of the blood, is that blood is drawn by the embalmer in 
at least three cases where it is not necessary to draw it in more 
than one. 

I am satisfied that a great deal of the opposition by friends 
to having their dead embalmed has been caused by the reckless 
manner in which many embalmers draw blood from the body. 
There is nothing so obnoxious to the friends of the dead as to see 
the embalmer carrying away or emptying out a large bottle of 
blood. “But,” says the embalmer, “I never allow the friends to 
see it, and what they do not see cannot disturb them.” Every 
embalmer of any experience knows the liability of some member 
oi the family insisting on being present to witness the operations 
on the body. Moreover, there is always danger that someone 
of the family, neighbor or friend, will insist on entering the room 
where the operation is being performed; and there is often insuffi¬ 
cient time for the operator to conceal his bottle of blood and dis¬ 
pose of his apparatus before the unwelcome visitor enters, there¬ 
by causing much confusion and annoyance. 

As I have before observed, I am of the opinion that blood 
had better never be withdrawn, except in cases of blood poison¬ 
ing or in cases where bodies have a large quantity of blood. This 
often happens when people, apparently in good health, die sud¬ 
denly of heart trouble or some kindred disease, which would 
create a liability to cause the blood to overflow, and, crowding 
into the vessels of the face, cause discoloration. 

In most cases of death by blood poisoning I have noticed 

that fermentation is liable to commence very soon after death. 

This, in my judgment, is caused by the blood, which is filled with 

elements of fermentation seldom present in other cases; hence, 

the best way to rid ourselves of these sources of trouble is to draw 

the blood away. It has often been argued that the blood should 

be withdrawn in every case in order to create a vacuum for the 

fluid. I think this is erroneous, however, as there is always 

% 

plenty of room for the fluid in a dead body, provided the arteries 
and capillaries are in a condition to make proper distribution 
of it. *. . 


56 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


It is a fact, known to most embalmers, that, as a rule, after 
death the blood leaves the arteries, capillaries and superficial 
veins and flows into the deep veins, and as the capacity of the 
capillaries is at least fifty times greater than that of the veins, this 
leaves a sufficient vacuum for all the fluid needed to preserve the 
tissues of the body. 

The amount of fluid necessary for the preservation of tne 
average body for a reasonable length of time does not exceed 
three quarts; and, if a full formaldehyde fluid d's used, my opinion 
is that one quart in the arteries, together with a small quantity 
put into the brain, lungs and abdominal cavity, is sufficient. But, 
so far as a vacuum is concerned, there is plenty of room in the 
tissues of the body for at least five gallons of fluid. 

I never did it myself, but I have known Professor Weaver, 
of Haniman Medical College, of Philadelphia, Pa., to inject six 
gallons of fluid into a body he was preparing for anatomical pur¬ 
poses. But it is claimed by some that the fluid in many cases 
does not find its way through the capillaries into the veins, there¬ 
fore, in such a case, there will be no preservatives in the blood. 
This, in my opinion, is erroneous. I have experimented many 
weeks on cadavers in morgues in various cities, and have never 
yet seen a case where I could get a circulation at all in which I 
could not drive the fluid into the veins in sufficient quantity to 
preserve the blood. 

It is sometimes urged that the blood should always be with¬ 
drawn, as the face then takes on a much whiter hue and its ap¬ 
pearance more than pays for the trouble. This again, I am per¬ 
suaded, is an error. In my judgment the face looks much better 
when it has a life-like color, and this is much more likely to 
happen when the blood is left in the veins. My advice to my 
readers, therefore, is, always be prepared to draw blood at any 
time when it may be necessary, but do not do so unless it is. 

HOW TO DRAW BLOOD.—There are only two methods 
of emptying the veins of blood. The first is by inserting a flexible 
tube into one of the vessels leading to the right auricle of the 
heart, the other to insert a trocar, or cardiac needle, into the right 
auricle and remove the blood with an aspirator. I suppose there 
is no doubt that very nearly, if not quite, two-thirds of the em¬ 
balmers of the United States and Canada use the latter method; 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


57 


and, taking all things into consideration, I am inclined to think 
that, for the embalmer of no more than average skill, this is the 
best and most effective way. 

The reasons urged against it are that, even in the hands of a 
skilled operator, the needle is liable to be inserted in the arch of 
the aorta or some of the smaller arteries near or in the heart, and 
the arterial circulation be spoiled. Again, it is urged that the 
heart is often out of place, caused by diseases of the body or by a 
freak of nature, which would make it impossible for the most 
skilled anatomist to strike the right auricle by using the usual 
guides. While this may be, and in a very few cases undoubtedly 
is, true, an idea of how much danger there is in this can be 
gained by my own experience. 

In the past five years I have tapped the right auricle of the 
heart of more than three hundred bodies, after which I have 
opened the subject, and'in only one case have I failed to strike the 
right auricle, and in that case I did not miss it by more than one- 
sixteenth part of an inch. Another great objection urged against 
this method of drawing blood is that the circulation is broken by 
piercing the auricle and a large part of the fluid lost. Others 
deny this and say that, as there are no arteries in or very near the 
right auricle, the fluid cannot possibly escape. Neither of these 
assertions is correct. The success or failure of this method de¬ 
pends almost wholly upon the skill of the operator. 

If the insertion is made at the proper point and the direc¬ 
tions elsewhere given properly followed, there is little trouble 
to be apprehended from piercing any of the vessels other than 
the vena cava, which would not be a serious mistake. It is 
not true that the fluid cannot escape from the right auricle of the 
heart. My experience has taught me that if the fluid be injected 
rapidly into the arteries it will pass through those vessels into the 
capillaries and quickly find its way through this network of mi¬ 
nute vessels into and through the veins to the right auricle of the 
heart; and, if there is an aperture there, of course a certain portion 
of the fluid will escape; but if, on the other hand, the operator 
injects the body slowly and carefully, by far the larger portion of 
the fluid will be taken up in the tissues as it passes through the 
capillaries, and the leakage from the auricle will be very small. 
There is one advantage in this method which is seldom taken into 


58 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


consideration, that is, if the fluid be injected rapidly it enters the 
deep veins and, they being charged with the blood which is 
thus driven to the face, discoloration is the inevitable result; but 
if there is an aperture in the right auricle of the heart the blood 
will be more than likely to escape through this into the mediasti¬ 
num, where it will do no harm. 

HOW TO DRAW BLOOD FROM THE RIGHT 
AURICLE.—If this method is decided upon, place the point of 
the aspirating needle in the third intercostal space, as close as pos¬ 
sible to the junction of the fourth intercostal cartilage (or rib) with 
the sternum or breast bone, holding the needle almost perpen¬ 
dicular but with a slight angle to the right and toward the right 
ear, as shown in the cut, pass it downward about two and one- 
half inches and you will feel it as it passes through the pericardium 
into theright auricle ; now attach your aspirator and pump slowly, 
when the blood will probably flow freely. Should the blood not 
start at once do not give up too easily; move the trocar up and 
down and you will be likely to clear it from obstructions that are 
always liable to impede the flow of blood. When this fails see to it 
that your needle and tubes are clear and if you are still unsuc¬ 
cessful do your arterial work (if not already done), after which 
inject a pint of fluid in the head by the nasal process. This will 
probably liquify the blood in the right auricle (as it flows directly 
there), after which you can probably withdraw the blood without 
much difficulty. 

It sometimes happens, especially in bodies dead for some 
time, that the blood has coagulated to such an extent as to make 
it impossible for anyone, however skilled, to withdraw it; how¬ 
ever, if there is no discoloration of the exposed parts of the body 
it is of little moment, as the blood will probably give you no 
ttouble. When it is decided to use a vein, the operator may 
choose between the basilic, the internal jugular and the femoral. 

HOW TO DRAW BLOOD FROM THE BASILIC 
VEIN.—When the basilic vein is used for drawing blood, use 
the brachial artery for embalming, and always select the left arm 
as the one to be operated upon, for, at the junction of the sub¬ 
clavian and internal jugular which form the innominate vein, on 
the right side a sharp curve is made, and it will be found a diffi¬ 
cult task to pass the flexible tube through these vessels into the 



Aspirating from the Right Auricle of the 


Heart. 


; ^r-' 














THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


59 


t 

heart; while on the left side the 'curve is very gradual and the 
tube will usually enter the auricle with ease. For the position of 
the basilic vein, as well as the other veins used for drawing blood, 
the reader is referred to the treatise on veins in another part of 
this work. 

When raising the brachial artery, with intent to draw 
blood from the basilic vein, the incision should always be 
made in the upper third of the brachial space; here you will 
find the artery on the inside of the median nerve and the basilic 
vein lying about one-eighth of an inch inside of the artery just on 
the edge or inner border of the triceps muscle, accompanied by the 
cutaneous nerve. The operator should first raise and prepare the 
artery for injection, then free the vein from the fascia with which 
it is covered, and raise it, placing a bridge beneath to hold it as 
high as possible. Now place a ligature on either side of the 
point where the incision is to be made, and, after pressing the 
blood in the vessel downward, tie the lower portion tightly, but 
in the upper part tie a surgeon’s knot loosely in order to allow 
the tube to pass into the vessel. Make your incision by cutting 
diagonally across the vein, insert your aneurism hook, raise the 
walls of the vessel and slip the tube in under the hook. Now 
withdraw that instrument, draw your ligature tight enough to 
prevent any flow of blood and push your tube gently forward. 
Its course is through the axillary and subclavian vein to the in¬ 
nominate, through that vessel to the vena cava superior and into 
the right auricle of the heart. When the tube is in the auricle if 
the blood is in a liquid state and the body in proper position, it 
will flow quite freely. The flow will be hastened by injecting the 
brachial artery while removing the blood. In cases where the 
blood does not flow freely the aspirator should be attached. 

Should success not follow the use of this instrument it is 
sometimes well to try an injection of fluid chemicals. A ten per 
cent, solution of sodium chloride (common salt), or, what is 
better, if at hand, a solution of sulphate of soda or magnesium sul¬ 
phate may be tried, and in many cases will prove very satisfac¬ 
tory. In operating on the basilic vein, a small wire, long enough 
to pass through the entire length of the tube, should be at hand, 
by the use of which any little blood clots which may be obstruct¬ 
ing the flow can be removed, 


6o 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


DRAWING BLOOD BY THE INTERNAL JUGULAR 
VEIN.—The objection to the use of this vessel for drawing blood 
is the mutilation which must be made in order to raise it. Only 
for this I would not hesitate to say that it is by far the best and 
surest method of removing blood that has ever been practiced; 
but considerable mutilation is unavoidable, and for that reason 
I should hesitate to recommend it until every other method had 
been tried. 

Some teachers of embalming recommend methods that, 
while they are all right in a morgue or hospital, are wholly im¬ 
practicable in the parlor or sitting room of a patron. “Put your¬ 
self in his place,” is an old and excellent motto; and people who 
recommend barbarous methods of embalming should remember 
that there is a vast difference between the place occupied by the 
embalmer and that filled by the prosector in a college; and, while 
certain methods may be practical and proper in 'the one place, it 
may be very dangerous to use them in the other. 

Should the embalmer decide upon the use of the internal 
jugular vein for removing blood, it would be well to use the 
common carotid artery for embalming the body. When this de¬ 
cision is reached, make a transverse incision about two and one- 
half inches long, commencing at the right side of the breast bone 
and continuing along the inside of the collar bone, as shown in 
the cut; sever the sterno-mastoid muscle at the point where it is 
attached to the sternum or breast bone, raise the muscle and 
tissues of the neck, and the carotid artery with its accompanying 
vein, the internal jugular, will be plainly exposed to view. Now 
raise both the artery and vein and, after placing the ligatures as 
per directions for using the basilic, make an incision in the vein, 
insert a large tube, which can be easily pushed downward into 
the right auricle of the heart, and remove the blood, after which 
tie the vessel and sew up the cut neatly, as shown in the illustra¬ 
tion. Then inject the carotid artery. 

REMOVING BLOOD BY THE FEMORAL VEIN.— 
The objection to the use of this vessel is the large incision which 
must necessarily be made in order to raise it; the exposure, espe¬ 
cially in females, and the danger of spilling the blood and soiling 
the clothing. My opinion is that neither the femoral nor the in¬ 
ternal jugular should be used, unless it is found to be strictly 




Internal Jugular Vein and Carotid Artery raised by the Transverse Incision. 




Transverse Incision Closed. 





I 


THE PRACTICAL EMBAL'MER. 61 

necessary, which I think is very seldom the case. When it is used, 
make an incision in the centre of Scarpa’s triangle, about one 
and one-half inches below Poupart’s ligament, and cut through 
the skin and subcutaneous tissue. The vessel lies in a strong 
fibrous sheath with the femoral artery, but separated from that 
vessel by a membranous partition. It lies to the inner side and 
partly under the artery. 

Separate the vein carefully from the sheath, taking care not 
to cut the branches, which at this point are quite large, then raise 
it to the surface and proceed to insert the tube, observing the 
directions given for performing the same operation with the 
other vessels! mentioned. i 

When the femoral vein is used the operator should be pro¬ 
vided with a large tube called the femoral-vein tube, as a small 
one will be of little or no use when used in this vessel. 

DISCOLORATIONS. 

Discolorations are usually the result of the blood failing to 
leave the superficial veins, commonly termed post-mortem stain¬ 
ing, or of its being forced to the superficial vessels by accumula¬ 
tion^ of gas, or may be the result of a chemical change in the tis¬ 
sues of the body. Discolorations from any of these causes may 
take place either before or after the body has been injected, and 
in some instances may appear while the work is being done, usu¬ 
ally the result of too rapid injection or the use of a vein instead 
of an artery. 

When discolorations are caused by blood, it should be 
removed at once and the affected part rubbed downward in the 
course of the veins, using, when necessary, cloths saturated in 
hot water. When the discolorations cannot be removed in this 
way or when they are the result of a chemical change, I would 
advise the use of the “New Century Bleacher.” Should this fail 
to restore the color, try white wine vinegar heated and applied 
to the features by saturating? a cloth. When all of these remedies 
fail, a resort to the hypodermic needle is the last and only hope. 
This must be done very carefully, taking care not to- insert the 
needle on any exposed part of the face, as an unsightly spot 
would be the inevitable, result, but under the hair or behind the 
ear or in any part where the spot will not be seen. For liypo- 
dernr : work a bleacher and not an embalming fluid should 
always be used. 


Chapter VI. 


ARTERIAL EMBALMING. 

Having tried to give my readers a general knowledge of the 
course or simple anatomy of the body, which I think is all that 
is necessary foil the embalmer to possess, it will now be necessary 
to instruct them in the best methods of reaching all the tissues of 
the body in the best, most effective and simplest manner possible. 

Strictly speaking, there is but one method of embalming the 
body, namely: to raise and inject some one of the arteries. It 
matters but little which one is used, except as far as convenience 
and lack of mutilation are concerned. It is my opinion that, for 
the adult body, all things considered, the radial artery, on ac¬ 
count of its being the most superficial and easiest secured, offers 
superior advantages to the embalmer. 

EMBALMING BY USE OF THE RADIAL ARTERY. 

LINEAR GUIDE.—Holding the arm at a right angle,palm 
of the' hand up, draw a line from the middles of the elbow joint to 
the inner side of the wrist joint below the thumb, and it will be 
directly over the line of the radial artery. 

ANATOMICAL GUIDE.—The anatomical guides for the 
radial* artery are the supinator longus muscle, on the outer or 
thumb side of the arm, and the flexor carpi radialis. The vessel 
liesl between these two muscles,; where in life the pulse is felt. 

HOW TO RAISE THE RADIAL ARTERY.—When 
about to raise this vessel, the embalmer should hold the arm at a 
right angle to! the body, with the, palm of the hand up, and, hold¬ 
ing the hand of the body in his left hand, draw the arm tight. 
In most bodies this will show plainly the tendons of the muscles 
between which the vessel lies, thus affording an excellent guide 




» 



















Injecting the Radial Artery 








THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


63 


for the incision. The arm should never be grasped and the tis¬ 
sues drawn out of their natural position, as that is very mislead¬ 
ing. The vessel should be raised at a point about three inches 
above the wrist joint, the operator making an incision through 
the skin, superficial fascia and fat, one-half to one inch in length, 
when the artery will be seen lying in its sheath between the two 
tendons of the muscles. The cut should now be opened care¬ 
fully, by placing the fingers on either side of it, and the fascia 
carefully dissected from the artery, after which it can easily be 
raised with the aneurism hook. There is no other vessel at this 
point that can be mistaken for the radial artery. Its two venae 
comites, or accompanying veins, are attached to the artery and 
need not be removed, as they are very small and can give the 
embalmer no trouble. 

The long radial artery tube should always be used for inject¬ 
ing this vessel, as the short tube is very liable to be moved in the 
artery, drawing the walls of the vessel across the mouth of the 
tube, thus preventing the fluid from flowing. Some object to 
the use of this artery on account of its small size, but I do not 
consider that an objection, as with few exceptions a good sized 
tube can easily be inserted, and the fluid injected faster than it 
should be even though we were using the femoral or carotid 
artery. 

EMBALMING BY USE OF THE BRACHIAL ARTERY. 

LINEAR GUIDE.—Holding the arm at a right angle, 
palm of the hand up, draw a string from a point a little to the 
outside of the middle of the axillary space to the middle of the 
condyles of the humerous (elbow joint). This will give almost 
the exact position of the vessel in its upper and middle third. In 
the lower third the artery curves outward toward the muscle and 
will be found just outside the string. 

ANATOMICAL GUIDE.—The anatomical guides for rais¬ 
ing the brachial artery are the biceps muscle above, the triceps 
below, and the median nerve. 

HOW TO RAISE THE BRACHIAL ARTERY.—Next 
to the radial artery this vessel offers the greatest inducements to 
the embalmer, being superficially located and easily secured. 
The early teachers of the art of embalming, almost without ex- 


64 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


ception, instructed their pupils to use this vessel, and it is prob¬ 
ably being injected by more embalmers than all the rest of the 
arteries used. Commencing as a continuation of the axillary 
artery, this vessel extends along the base of the biceps muscle to 
a point about one-half inch below the bend of the elbow. It is 
contained in a sheath, called deep fascia, together with its ac¬ 
companying veins and the median nerve. The basilic vein is 
also contained in the 'sheath, but is separated from the vessels 
last named by the bicipital fascia. This should be borne in mind 
while raising this artery, as the biceps muscle and the median 
nerve form the unmistakable guides to the vessel. That he may 
be in the most easy and convenient position for raising this 
artery, the operator should seat himself in a chair about two feet 
from the body, raise the arm to be operated upon, palm of the 
hand up, and, placing the wrist under his left arm, draw the arm 
tight. This, in most cases, will bring the groove at the base of 
the muscle plainly into view. The operator should then place 
his fingers in the groove, where he will feel the median nerve, 
which, in the middle third of the muscle, usually, covers the 
artery. If this point has been decided upon as the place for 
raising the vessel, cut through the skin, superficial fascia and fat, 
and you will see the deep fascia, or sheath. By holding the arm 
at a right angle from the body, the median nerve will be drawn 
tight and feel like a cord, when it can easily be located with the 
fingers. Now, dissect the fascia from around the nerve, and it 
can plainly be seen by the operator. It is about two-thirds as 
large as a common lead pencil, and of a creamish color. 

Having located the nerve, clear away the sheath, which 
encloses all of the vessels, with the handle of the aneurism hook, 
then push the nerve to one side and the artery will be found lying 
just beneath it or running parallel with it. Two small veins, 
called venae comites, will be seen, one on either side of the 
artery, connected by anastomosing branches. The artery 
will usually be found of a creamish color, while the veins 
will be blue. The artery will also show a little trough-like de¬ 
pression in the centre, caused by the contraction of its walls, and 
by its appearance and location can easily be distinguished from 
its accompanying veins. The operator, having decided that he 
has located the vessel correctly, may now raise it to the surface 




PLATE U 


Dissection of the Axillary and Brachial Regions. 


A—Axillary vein cut and tied; a, the basilic vein cut. 

A* Axillary artery; b, brachial artery, in the upper part of its course, having /i, the 
median nerve, lying rather at its outer side; b* the artery on the lower part 
of its course, with the median nerve to its inner side. 

C —Subclavius muscle. 

C* —Clavicle. 

—Axillary plexus of nerves, of which d. is a branch on the coracoid border of the 
axillary artery; e, the musculo-cutaneous nerve, piercing the coraco- 
brachialis muscle; /, the ulnar nerve; g, musculo-spiral nerve; h, the me¬ 
dian nerve; i, the circumflex nerve. 

E—Humeral part of the great pectoral muscle. 

F—Biceps muscle. 

G—Coraco-brachialis muscle. 

AA—Thoracic half of the lesser pectoral muscle. 

I— Thoracic half of the greater pectoral muscle. 

K—Coracoid attachment of the lesser pectoral muscle. 

K*—Coracoid process of the scapula. 

I.—Lymphatic glands. 

II— Serratus magnus muscle. 

X—Latissimus dorsi muscle. 

<>—Teres major muscle. 

P —Long head of triceps muscle. 

Q—Inner condyle of humerus. 












THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


65 


with the aneurism hook and place a bridge or artery holder be¬ 
neath it. Then he should prepare the ligatures for tying the 
vessel, which should be of coarse silk, though, if this is not at 
hand, coarse linen or cotton thread will do. Place one on either 
side of the artery holder and tie a surgeon’s knot (two half hitches) 
loosely in each of them. Then make an incision, obliquely, 
across the vessel, taking care not to cut it off, insert the 
aneurism hook and raise the walls of the artery and the tube can 
easily be passed beneath the hook into the vessel; after which, 
draw the knot in the ligature tight, and, after attaching the in¬ 
jector, proceed to inject the body, which should be done very 
slowly, taking at least fifteen minutes for every quart of fluid in¬ 
jected, as, when a body is rapidly injected, the capillaries are 
liable to be ruptured, causing spots to appear on the face or 
other exposed parts of the body, and there is always danger of 
forcing blood to the face, when serious discolorations will be the 
inevitable result. Another good reason why fluid should never 
be rapidly injected is that by so doing some one of the larger 
arteries may be ruptured, in which case the fluid would flow into 
the cavities and the embalmer be led to believe that he had ob¬ 
tained a good circulation, when really his fluid had hardly pene¬ 
trated the tissues at all. 

Should the upper third of the muscle be selected as the place 
for raising the brachial artery, the embalmer should bear ini 
mind that the vessel lies just posterior to the median nerve, the 
side next to the body being considered the inside. In the lower 
third of the muscle the artery will be found outside the nerve, or 
from one-sixteenth to one-quarter of an inch nearer the muscle. 
When raising this vessel, the operator should be very careful not 
to mistake the basilic vein for the brachial artery, as it runs very 
nearly parallel with it and is accompanied by the ulnar and 
cutaneous nerves. These nerves are usually very small, but are 
sometimes found to be nearly as large as the median nerve, and, 
when the vein is empty, as is often the case, it is easy for the em¬ 
balmer to mistake it for the artery. I have known several men 
who called themselves experts to make the mistake of raising 
and injecting the basilic vein, believing that they had the brachial 
artery, the result being a badly discolored face and neck. This 
mistake need never be made, however, as, should the embalmer 


66 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


find a vessel accompanied by a nerve, which he thinks may be 
the brachial artery, he can easily ascertain if such is the fact by 
drawing the arm tight and placing the tips of his fingers at the 
base of the biceps muscle and see if he can find another nerve, 
and, should he find it, he may rest assured it is a true guide to 
the brachial artery. 

THE ABNORMAL CONDITIONS OF THE BRA¬ 
CHIAL ARTERY.—The embalmer is sometimes puzzled and 
confused by finding four very small vessels in the sheath con 
taining the brachial artery where he had expected to find only 
three. This js caused by the brachial artery dividing, as it some¬ 
times does at its commencement or in the axillary space, and 
continuing down the arm as two small arteries instead of one 
large one. The two vessels usually unite just above the elbow 
joint to form one common trunk, which again divides to form 
the radial and ulnar arteries; but the two branches sometimes 
continue all the way down without joining at the elbow. Again, 

I have found the brachial artery dividing in the middle third of 
the muscle, forming one large vessel in the upper and two small 
•ones in the lower third. When this happens the embalmer will 
•naturally select the larger vessel. These anomalies are not of 
'•nearly as frequent occurrence as some writers would have us be¬ 
lieve. Some authorities claim that this abnormal division of the 
brachial artery happens as often as one in every five cases, while 
others say that about one in eleven is a fair average. But I have 
dissected the vessels of more than one thousand arms and have 
not found this abnormal condition in more than one in twenty- 
five cases. Another unusual condition sometimes found is that 
they are hardened or ossified. This is usually termed an 
atheromatous condition of the arteries. It is probably caused by 
what is known as arteritis, or inflammation of the arteries. 

I have often found arteries so hard and brittle that I could 
•easily crush them in my fingers. When this occurs it is of little 
•use to attempt to inject the artery, as the capillaries are almost 
•always involved and are liable to become constricted to such an 
•extent as to make it impossible for the fluid to pass through 
them; besides the larger vessels are more than likely to rupture 
and the fluid to escape into the cavities. However, if the vessel 
can be raised, it is well to attempt an arterial injection, as it will 
certainly do no harm and may do much good. 













* 























* 





Raising the Brachial Artery in the Middle Third. 




Injecting the Brachial Artery. 












, 










' 


■:: 












. 

















THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


67 


EMBALMING BY USE OF THE COMMON CAROTID ARTERY. 

LINEAR GUIDE.—The course of the carotid artery can 
easily be found by drawing a line from the mastoid process in the 
temporal bone, just behind the ear, to the sterno clavicular junc¬ 
tion (junction of the collar and breast bones). The line will be 
directly over the course of the artery. 

ANA 1 OMICAL GUIDE.—The anatomical guides to the 
carotid artery are the sterno mastoid muscle and the trachea. 

HOW TO RAISE THE COMMON CAROTID AR¬ 
TERY.—On account of the mutilation necessarily made in 
raising this vessel, it is seldom used by embalmers, and 
I think this is wise, as no better results can be obtained by 
its use than by either of the smaller vessels already described, 
and as the least mutilation that can be made on the bodies of the 
dead the better pleased will be the patrons of the embalmer. 
However, should the smaller arteries fail to receive the fluid, and 
it becomes necessary to raise a larger artery, or should it be 
necessary to use the internal jugular vein for drawing blood, then 
it would be well for the embalmer to raise this vessel. On the 
whole, I think it is to be preferred to the femoral artery. For 
full directions for raising this vessel with a transverse incision,, 
the reader is referred to the directions for raising the internal 
jugular vein given on page 60. When the artery only is wanted, 
it can easily be raised by making a leaf-like incision at the junc¬ 
tion of the clavicle and sternum, raising the skin upward for 
about one inch, then, severing the sterno mastoid muscle from 
its attachment to the sternum, raise both the skin and muscle, 
and, placing the index finger in the hollow of the neck directly 
under the place from which the muscle was raised, the artery can 
be felt rolling under the finger like a rubber tube. Now, place 
the left index finger firmly on the vessel and, taking the scalpel 
in the right hand, sever the fascia or sheathe by drawing the 
knife along the inner border of the vessel, then, taking the 
aneurism hook, slip it under the artery and raise it to the sur¬ 
face. Then place a bridge or artery holder beneath the vessel 
and make an incision through the coats of the artery by cutting 
obliquely across it. The largest arterial tube can now be in¬ 
serted, after which place ligatures on either side of the incision 


68 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


and tie the vessel according to directions already given. The 
injection may now be proceeded with. As this vessel is very 
large and the large arterial tube is usually used, the temptation 
to inject rapidly is correspondingly great. This, for the reasons 
already given, should never be done; but the same time should 
be taken for injecting as though a small artery was being used, 
for the danger of rupturing vessels and causing discoloration is 
just as great when injecting the carotid as when the brachial 
artery is used. After the body has been injected, remove the 
tube, tie up the vessel, draw the skin down to its natural posi¬ 
tion below the clavicle and breast bone, sew the incision neatly 
with a fine needle, using fine silk or linen, and only a small 
scar will be seen. 

EMBALMING BY USE OF THE FEMORAL ARTERY. 

This is a large vessel commencing at Poupart’s ligament and 
extending downward through the centre of Scarpa’s triangle to 
Hunter’s canal, where it enters the popliteal space and becomes 
the popliteal artery, giving off ten branches in its course, the 
largest and most important of which is the profunda, which 
visually arises about two and onedialf inches below the ligament. 
'This artery is easiest located in the upper portion of the thigh, 
where it is superficial. 

I do not think it wise to use this vessel for several reasons: 
first, it leads directly through the great aorta to the head and, 
as blood is very liable to be left in the last named vessel after 
death, i' may be driven to the face, causing discolorations; 
second, in a fleshy body, especially when the work is done by 
an unskilled operator, considerable mutilation is necessary, 
which is never desirable; third, the necessary exposure, espe¬ 
cially in females, to which many people strongly object. As the 
radial and brachial arteries answer every purpose, 1 can seen no 
necessity of using this one. 

LINEAR GUIDE.—The course of the artery can easily be 
found by drawing a string from the crest of the illeum to the 
centre of the pubic bone and doubling the string find one-half 
the distance, which will give the centre of Poupart’s ligament. 
From this point draw the string to the inner side of the knee 
joint and it will be directly over the course of the artery. 




PLATE 12 


Dissection of the Deep Cervical and Facial Regions. 


A— Innominate artery, at its point of bifurcation. 

15—Subclavian artery, crossed by the vagus nerve. 

C—Common carotid artery, with the vagus nerve at its outer side, and the descendens 
noni nerve lying on it. 

D— External carotid artery. 

E—Internal carotid artery, with the descendens noni nerve lying on it. 

F—Lingual artery passing under the fibres of the hyoglossus muscle. 

G—Tortuous facial artery. 

H—Temporo-maxillary artery. 

I — Occipital artery, crossing the internal carotid artery and jugular vein. 

K—Internal jugular vein, crossed by some branches of the cervical plexus, which join 
the descendens noni nerve- 

1. -Spinal accessory nerve, which pierces the sterno-mastoid muscle, to be distributed 
to it and the trapezius. 

HI—Cervical plexus of nerves giving off the phrenic nerve to descend the neck on the 
outer side of the internal jugular vein, and over the scalenus muscle. 

N—Vagus nerve, between the carotid artery and internal jugular vein. 

O —Ninth, or hypoglossal nerve, distributed to the muscles of the tongue. 

PP—Branches of the brachial plexus of nerves. 

O—Subclavian artery in connection with the brachial plexus of nerves. 

PiR—Post-scapular artery passing through the brachial plexus. 

S—Transversalis humeri artery. 

T —Transversalis colli artery. 

I'--Union of the post-scapular and external jugular veins, which enter the subclavian 
vein by a common trunk. 

V— Posterior half of the omo-hyoid muscle. 

HV—Part of the subclavian vein, seen above the clavicle- 
X—Scalenus muscle, separating the subclavian artery from vein. 

V—Clavicle. 

Z—Trapezius muscle. 

1— Sternal origin of sterno-mastoid muscle of left side. 

2— Clavicular origin of sterno-mastoid muscle of right side, turned down. 

3— Scalenus posticus muscle. 

4— Splenius muscle- 

5— Mastoid insertion of sterno-mastoid muscle. 

6— Internal maxillary artery, passing behind the neck of lower jaw-bone- 

7— Parotid duct. 

8— Genio-hyoid muscle. 

9— Mylo-hyoid muscle, cut and turned aside. 

10—Superior thyroid artery. 

1 1—Anterior half of omo-hyoid muscle. 

12— Stemo-hyoid muscle, cut. 

13— Sterno-thyroid muscle, cut. 





THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


69 


ANATOMICAL GUIDE.—The anatomical guide to the 
femoral artery is what is known as Scarpa’s 'triangle, which is 
bounded on the outside by sartorius muscle, on the inner side by 
adductor longus, and above by Poupart’s ligament, the artery 
bisecting the triangle. An excellent method of using this guide 
for locating this vessel is by placing the fingers in the valley be¬ 
tween the muscles forming the inner and outer border of Scarpa’s 
triangle and tracing the artery by feeling, which can easily be 
done, as (the vessel runs between and under the muscles to the 
popliteal space where it terminates. 

HOW TO RAISE THE FEMORAL ARTERY.—Should 
the embalmer decide on using this vessel, it can be easily found 
by making an incision in the centre of Scarpa’s triangle at a 
point about one-half inch below the centre of Poupart’s ligament, 
where in bodies having little surplus fat the vessel will be found 
close to the surface and can be raised with little mutilation. The 
operator has only to cut through the skin and fat to see the fascia 
or sheath which contains both the artery and femoral vein, the 
vein lying posterior to, and separated from, the artery by a thin 
mebranous partition. Now dissect the fascia from the artery, 
taking care not to sever the vein (which, at this point, lies very 
close to it), as it usually contains blood, an effusion of which 
will cause much embarrassment. Having carefully separated the 
artery from the vein, raise it to the surface and place a bridge or 
artery holder beneath it. Prepare two ligatures, place one on 
either side of ’the point at which the incision is to be made, tie 
a surgeon’s knot loosely in each of them, make an incision 
obliquely across the vessel, insert the aneurism hook, raise the 
walls of the artery and insert the large arterial tube. Now draw 
the surgeon's knot tight around the tube and inject very slowly, 
watching the face closely to see if any discolorations appear. 
Should they do so, stop injecting and remove the blood, after 
which the injecting may be proceeded with. When, in the judg¬ 
ment of the operator, a sufficient quantity of the fluid has 
been injected, the tube should be removed, the vessel securely 
tied both above and below the incision, and the cut neatly closed, 
using either the baseball or subcutaneous stitch. Objection is 
often made to the raising of this artery at the point I have men¬ 
tioned, the reason given being that it is above the anastomosing 


70 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


artery (the profunda), and a collateral circulation will not be 
obtained in the limb below the incision. This is not true, how¬ 
ever, as the circumflex iliac artery above freely anastomoses by 
its branches with a branch of the profunda below; hence, the cir¬ 
culation obtained at this point is equally as effective as it would 
be if the artery were raised much lower down. In bodies of per¬ 
sons of advanced years, who have died while possessed of a large 
amount of surplus fat, it may be more advisable to make the in¬ 
cision in the lower portion of Scarpa’s triangle, as the vessel can 
sometimes be reached with less mutilation here than at 'the point 
indicated above; but, as a rule, I find the point first mentioned 
to be by far the best. 


Chapter VII. 


CAVITY EMBALMING. 

It is an old and true saying, “There are many men of many 
minds,” and I think this truism is better illustrated in 
the various methods used by different men in doing the 
work known as cavity embalming than in any other busi¬ 
ness that ever came under my observation. I have traveled 
widely in this country and the Provinces and talked with a great 
many men about this particular kind of work, and in not a few 
instances have observed them at their practice, and find that 
almost all of them have a notion of their own as to the par¬ 
ticular point at which they shall commence their work. Most 
of them use the umbilicus, or navel, as a kind of landmark 
from which to calculate the best place for making the incision. 
Some insert their trocar in the median line about two inches 
above the navel; others about two inches to the left of that point, 
and still others about the same distance to the right. Having 
selected the point at which they prefer to make the incision, they 
use a twelve or fifteen inch trocar, pass it from point to point in 
the abdominal cavity and, after distributing the fluid in the abdo¬ 
men to their satisfaction, pass the instrument into the pleural 
cavities several times for the purpose of filling the pleurae and 
preserving the lungs, thereby puncturing the diaphragm full of 
holes. Then, after injecting what fluid they think necessary into 
those cavities, they proceed to elevate the body as high as the 
embalming board will permit, thereby causing the fluid to gravi¬ 
tate into the pelvis, and unless a large quantity has been injected 
it will in a short time find its way into that portion of the body 
and the lower part of the abdomen, thus leaving the organs that 
the chemicals are intended to preserve almost or quite uncovered 
by the fluid. 



72 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALME'R. 


This is not the only objection to this manner of doing 
cavity work, for the use of the long trocar in the cavities, if that 
operation is witnessed by outside parties, is liable to cause a 
great amount of adverse criticism on embalming. The work of 
pushing the trocar into the different regions of the body being 
often, and I think not inappropriately, called “belly punching.” I 
long ago came to the conclusion that such work should not 
be dignified by the name of embalming; but, owing to the 
fact that the arteries and capillaries are not always in a con¬ 
dition to convey the fluid to the tissues, it is sometimes well to 
supplement the work by doing cavity embalming. When this is 
done it should be in the neatest manner possible, with 
little mutilation and by using small instruments. The long 
trocar should never be used except in cases where there are 
gases or water to be removed from the body, in Which, of 
course, it is indispensable. But when such is the case the em- 
balmer should use his best endeavors to conceal the operation 
from the friends or relatives of the deceased, and thus, as far as 
possible, avoid bringing the business or profession of embalming 
into disrepute. 

HOW TO INJECT THE CAVITIES PROPERLY. 

When, as sometimes happens, the vascular system is found 
to be in a condition to preclude the possibility of doing arterial 
embalming effectually or in the event of the embalmer not hav¬ 
ing the time at his disposal to do it properly, and cavity work is 
determined upon, my method is to use only two very small in¬ 
struments, namely, the Dodge cranium needle and the crooked 
or lung trocar. 

I first insert the small cranium needle in one of the nostrils, 
passing it directly upward close to the ethmoid bone, and push 
it through the sievey bone (cribriform plate), the needle passing 
between the two hemispheres of the brain and piercing the supe¬ 
rior longitudinal sinus; I then attach my injector and inject one 
to one and one-half pints of fluid, which permeates the brain as 
effectually as water will saturate a sponge, and this organ is effec¬ 
tually taken care of. 

The brain will only hold a small quantity of the fluid in¬ 
jected; the greater part will find its way through the sinuses into 
the internal jugular veins and from these vessels into the 




Injecting the Lungs through the Trachea. 



THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


73 


right auricle of the* heart, thence a portion will pass through the 
portal veins to the liver and spleen, also to the walls of (the stom¬ 
ach and intestines, and through the renal veins to the kidneys. 
Having performed this operation I withdraw my needle from the 
nasal passage, and, taking my crooked lung trocar or trachea 
needle, press the thumb and finger of my left hand on either side 
of the tteachea and, lifting the loose skin ais high as possible 
above the roots of the neck, insert the trocar upwards and be¬ 
tween the cartilaginous rings of that organ, then, turning it 
round and pressing it downward, attach my bulb syringe and in¬ 
ject fluid into' the lungs. 

In performing this operation the head should be raised 
considerably, so as to insure descent of the fluid into the 
lungs, which it will almost always do readily. When I find that 
my fluid flows freely in this way, I never inject the pleural cavi¬ 
ties, as it is not needed, the lungs, the only organs to be taken 
care of, being thoroughly preserved by this operation. The 
truth of this assertion can be readily seen when it is remembered 
that about two inches below the point at which the instrument is 
inserted the trachea divides into the right and left bronchi, 
which enter the lungs, where they divide and sub-divide into 
numerous branches. The fluid finds its way through this 
labyrinth of tubes into the air cells and the lungs are completely 
filled with the preservatives. 

Having performed this operation, if I think it advisable to 
inject the pleural cavities, I withdraw my needle from the tra¬ 
chea and, passing it just beneath the skin, push it downward into 
the cavity, keeping my instrument very close to the junction of 
the sternum and collar bone; in this way I inject first one and 
then the other pleural cavity. In performing this operation care 
should be taken to keep the trocar close to the skin until the col¬ 
lar bone is reached, lest by going deeper some of the branches 
from the internal jugular vein or that vessel itself might be 
pierced, causing a flow of blood. My opinion is that a large 
portion of the fluid that is injected into the pleural cavities is in 
most cases but little better than wasted. 

I am satisfied that one pint of fluid injected into the lungs 
through the trachea is much more effective in preserving those 
organs than four times that amount would be if injected into the 


74 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


pleural cavities. My reason for entertaining this opinion is that, 
inasmuch as the lungs are the only organs to be preserved and 
are invested by a dense membrane called the pleura through 
which it is a well known fact that it is difficult for fluid chemicals 
to pass, if the elements of fermentation are present causing gases 
to generate in those organs, trouble is sure to ensue before the 
fluid placed in the pleural cavities can possibly find its way into 
the lungs to preserve them. For this reason I would advise the 
embalmer not to waste fluid in the cavity of the pleura until he 
has tried to force it into the interior of the lungs by injecting 
through the trachea or windpipe. When this fails, as it some¬ 
times may, it is well to 'inject the pleura, and not otherwise. 

It sometimes happens that difficulty ts found in injecting the 
lungs in this manner, there being coagulated matter at the bifur¬ 
cation of the trachea. If this happens, the crooked needle should 
be carefully pressed downwards in the trachea and, by turning it 
to either side, can be passed into the bronchi, when the fluid 
will probably flow into the lungs. In performing this operation 
care should always be taken to prevent the trocar from catching 
on the cartilaginous rings of the trachea and passing through it, 
in which case the fluid would flow into the mediastinal space 
instead of into the lungs. If much trouble is experienced in 
passing the metal tube, it would be well to substitute the hard 
rubber nasal tube, which can be done by cutting a very small 
opening in the lower portion of the trachea with the point of the 
scalpel and pushing the nasal tube into it. It can then be easily 
forced into the right or left lung at will. 

HOW TO INJECT THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. 

Having satisfied myself that I have taken care of all the 
organs above the diaphragm I now turn my attention to the 
abdominal viscera. The liver and spleen are organs that under 
favorable conditions are liable to decompose rapidly, conse¬ 
quently, when they are to be taken care of by cavity work alone, 
care should be taken to cover them well with the preservative 
fluids; to this end the body should be kept as nearly level as 
possible in order to prevent too much of the fluid flowing into the 
pelvic basin; when this is done, the body having been placed in 



Injecting the Right Pleural Cavity through the same aperture made 

for Filling the Lungs. 








THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


75 


proper position, I push my crooked trocar into the umbilicus, or 
navel, and force it into the abdominal cavity. I usually point my 
instrument toward the liver, as in case that organ had an hepatic 
abscess it would be well washed with the fluid. Having injected 
all the fluid that my judgment tells me is necessary, I withdraw 
my trocar and the work is complete. When cavity embalming is 
done in this way, there is little mutilation on the body, no one 
can accuse you of being a belly-puncher, and you have used the 
most effective method of cavity embalming possible, inasmuch 
as you have injected the brain not outside, but inside, and have 
injected the lungs not outside of the pleura only but have placed 
your preservatives in the air cells; in addition to this, you have 
probably reached the interior of the liver and spleen and also 
the walls of the stomach and intestines, and have certainly sur¬ 
rounded all of these organs with fluid without any visible mutila¬ 
tion except the very small mark made at the roots of the neck 
by inserting the trocar in the trachea, which will never be noticed. 
If there has ever been devised any neater, better, or more effect¬ 
ual method of doing cavity work than this, I have certainly 
failed to see or hear of it. 

NEEDLE EMBALMING. 

Strictly speaking there is no such thing as needle embalm¬ 
ing. Several years ago Prof. F. A. Sullivan introduced what he 
was pleased to call a new process of embalming, which lie named 
“The Eye Process.” This method he taught to thousands of em- 
balmers all over the United States and Canada, and to him be¬ 
longs the credit of introducing the so-called needle processes of 
embalming which have become so widely known throughout the 
country. It has been said that Prof. Sullivan was next the dis¬ 
coverer of the so-called eye process, but that the credit belonged 
to one Dr. Richardson of England. This may or may not be 
true, I do not know, but certain it is that Prof. Sullivan was the 
first to propagate the idea in this country and that all the other 
so-called needle processes are only other ways of accomplishing 
the same end. 

Out of the so-called eye process has grown what is known 
as the Barnes needle process, the Champion needle process, and 


7 6 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


that method which has never received a name, but is called 
the nasal process, first taught by the writer, who is the first 
and only teacher of the art of embalming who has properly 
and honestly explained the so-called needle process, stripping it 
of its mystery, and thoroughly demonstrating that all methods of 
needle embalming are exactly alike in results and that none of 
them is worthy of being called a new process, as by no one of 
these so-called methods can all or any considerable part of the 
tissues of the body be reached. 

Needle embalming, then, is only an expedient, and no more 
to be compared to the old, tried, and well understood method of 
arterial embalming than a gentle breeze is to be compared to a 
western cyclone. 

That the reader may clearly understand the needle processes, 
he is referred to and advised to read and carefully study the 
anatomy of the human brain on page 20; especially its great 
venous channels, or sinuses of the dura mater, and the cerebral 
vessels. Once he has a perfect or even a general idea of these 
vessels, and understands that by the junction of the inferior 
petrosal with the lateral sinuses the internal jugular veins are 
formed, and that these vessels again join with the subclavian 
veins to form 'the superior vena cava which empties into the right 
auricle of the heart, he will be on the right road to a thorough 
knowledge of these processes of embalming. 

I will now proceed to give as thorough an explanation of 
these methods as possible, that the intelligent reader may under¬ 
stand just how far they can be trusted to take care of the bodies 
that come into his charge. 

THE EYE PROCESS.—Although one will answer the 
purpose, this operation is usually performed by taking two small 
hollow needles, called child’s trocars, and placing the points of 
the instruments at the Inner corners of the eyes, pressing them 
downwards and through the 'sphenoidal fissure (an opening in 
the skull behind the eye), piercing the substance of the brain, 
reaching the cerebro-spinal cavity and piercing the junction of 
the sinuses at the back of the head. 

This junction is called the torcular Herophili, or the wine¬ 
press. It will readily be seen that as the fluid is injected into the 
junction of the sinuses it will flow through each and every one 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


77 


of them, and as the cerebral veins (they having no valves) empty 
into the sinuses the fluid will be quickly conveyed through these 
vessels to the capillaries of the brain, thus completely filling that 
organ with preservatives. The fluid will now find its way into 
the internal jugular veins, through these to the innominate veins 
and along these vessels to the vena cava superior, through which 
it is emptied into the right auricle of the heart. 

'It is said by some authors that at this point the fluid takes 
the course of the blood and passes through the tricuspid valves 
to the right ventricle of the heart, thence through the semi-lunar 
valves and along the pulmonary arteries to the lungs, and that 
passing through the capillaries of the lungs it is taken up by the 
pulmonary veins, through which it is conveyed to the left auricle 
of the heart, then through the bicuspid or mitral valves to the left 
ventricle, from which it passes through the semi-lunar valves- 
and ente-rs the great aorta to be distributed to all the tissues of 
the body. This sounds well in theory and in a few cases may be 
partially true; but I am pursuaded that the fluid seldom finds its 
way by this circuitous route into the arteries, and when, if ever, 
it does occur only a very small portion of it goes there; hence, 
this method is not to be depended upon to take the place of 
arterial embalming. 

But I am often asked to explain what becomes of the fluid 
thus injected into the head, if it does not find its way into the 
arteries, and through these vessels into the tissues of the body, 
the interrogator often saying that he has sometimes injected 
two quarts into the body by some one of the needle processes. 

My answer is this : When the fluid finds its way to the right 
auricle of the heart, instead of entering the ventricle through the 
auricular opening, it passes into the inferior vena cava (the 
largest vein in the body), which enters the auricle from below by 
a very large opening in the lower portion of that chamber, 
passes down this vein to its bifurcation, then through the iliac 
veins, downward as far as the valves will allow it to pass. When 
stopped by the valves a portion of the fluid flows through the 
portal and renal veins (which have no valves) and finds its way 
into the liver, spleen, kidneys, and walls of the stomach and 
intestines. When these organs are filled and the pressure on 
the walls of the great vein becomes too great for them to bear. 


78 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


the walls will burst and the fluid flow into the peritoneal cavity; 
thus, many practical embalmers are led to believe that they have 
obtained an excellent arterial circulation, but have awakened, 
when too late, to find their embalming a failure and their faith 
in the so-called needle processes very much shaken. 

OBJECTIONS TO THE EYE PROCESS.—An objection 
to this process of embalming is that, unless extreme care is used 
by the operator in performing the operation, the body is very 
liable to become disfigured from bulging of the eye caused by the 
fluid escaping through the sphenoidal fissure, which has been 
opened by passing the needle; and even with the exercise of the 
utmost care this has often happened. 

Again, I have known the skin covering the orbicularis mus¬ 
cle, which surrounds the eye, to become bleached to such an 
extent that the appearance of the face was very much disfigured. 
This is also caused by (the fluid escaping from the cavity through 
the fissure and finding its way beneath the very fine and soft 
skin which surrounds the eye. Disfigurement of the body in 
either of these ways is very embarrassing. 

THE BARNES NEEDLE PROCESS.—This so-called 
process of embalming was first introduced by Dr. Carl L. Barnes, 
now of Chicago, Ill. Dr. Barnes is doubtless an able anatomist, 
but exactly what he means by the claim that by his needle 
process he obtains the same arterial circulation as would be 
obtained by injecting the brachial artery, I am at a loss to 
understand. By 'the Barnes process the needle is passed through 
the foramen magnum (the large hole in the skull at the back of 
the head) into the cerebro-spinal cavity, from which the fluid 
finds its way into the sinuses of the dura mater, passing through 
the cerebral veins into the capillaries of the brain; it then finds its 
way into the internal jugular veins and takes the same course as 
when injected by the eye process, and exactly the same results 
are obtained. In this process, as in all other so-called needle pro¬ 
cesses, a certain portion of the fluid finds its way down the spinal 
canal; but this would have little effect in preserving the tissues of 
the body. 

OBJECTIONS TO THE BARNES NEEDLE PRO^ 
CESS. The objections to this method of embalming, aside from 
its inefficiency, are that it is often very difficult to insert a needle 



The Barnes Needle Process. 








THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


79 


in the side of the head, and besides, from the relatives’ point of 
view, it is little less objectionable than either of the other methods 
named. Adding to this the fact that it is very difficult to prevent 
a leakage from the aperture made in the foramen magnum, it 
will readily be seen that this method is not a desirable one. 

THE CHAMPION NEEDLE PROCESS.—This method 
of embalming was first taught by Dr. Eliab Myers. To perform 
this operation draw a line longitudinally backward from the 
bridge of the nose until you reach the center of the skull, then 
using a very small drill and brace, drill a hole through the skull 
and pass a small needle into 1 the great longitudinal fissure be¬ 
tween the two hemispheres of the brain. Your fluid will find its 
way into the sinuses, and the result will be the same as obtained 
by either of the foregoing methods. 

OBJECTIONS TO THE CHAMPION NEEDLE PRO¬ 
CESS.—The objections to- this method are: first, the great incon¬ 
venience of carrying a brace and drill; 'second, the friends are 
very liable to object to such a method if they are aware of it be¬ 
ing practiced. The claim, made by some, that it is very brutal, I 
have no sympathy with, as the mutilation does not show in the 
least, there is no leakage whatever and no danger of missing the 
great sinuses of the brain. However, I think this method has 
been almost or quite discarded on account of its inconvenience, 
since the later and better method of reaching the sinuses through 
the nasal process was discovered and taught. 

\ 

THE NASAL PROCESS. 

This method of preserving the brain and partially injecting 
the liver, spleen and walls of the stomach and intestines, was first 
taught by the writer some three years ago. 

I had for some time felt that a more convenient and less 
dangerous method of injecting the cerebro-spinal cavity, than 
any of those mentioned, might be devised. On examination of 
the skull I came to the conclusion that this could be accom¬ 
plished more easily and conveniently by passing the needle 
through the nasal passage and through the ethmoidal bone into 
the brain, passing through that organ between its hemispheres 
into the superior longitudinal sinus, thereby reaching all of the 


So 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


cerebral vessels. Putting 'this idea into practice I found it far 
ahead of any of the methods 'that had ever been taught, as no 
leakage ensued and there was no mutilation whatever. No skill 
is required to do the work and no friend of the deceased will 
object to it, as there is no need of their knowing that you are 
doing anything more than washing out the nasal passage. 

THE ADVANTAGES OF THIS OPERATION are: first, 
to preserve the brain; second, to drive the blood from the great 
sinuses of the head and from the veins of the face; third, to 
liquify the blood in the auricle and veins, and to facilitate its 
withdrawal from those vessels or from the auricle of the heart; 
fourth, the fluid finds its way, in greater or less quantities, to the 
liver, spleen, stomach, intestines and kidneys. 

Of course, when an arterial circulation has been obtained 
and there is no discoloration of the face, this operation is wholly 
unnecessary; but in all cases of brain troubles—-such as hydro¬ 
cephalus or dropsy of the brain, cerebral hemorrhage or soften¬ 
ing of the brain—this operation is strictly necessary and should 
never be ignored, for it will readily be seen that this method 
is open to none of the objections urged against the others. 

I am often asked under what conditions it is possible to ob¬ 
tain a partial arterial circulation by the needle process. My 
answer is this: When the fluid has found its way into the infe¬ 
rior vena cava and that great vessel is filled, it flows outward 
through all its tributaries which have no valves; but when these 
are filled and the fluid comes in contact with the valves in the ves¬ 
sels of the lower limbs, it is naturally forced backwards, and a 
great pressure is brought to bear on the vena cava. Now, when 
this great vessel is filled to its fullest capacity and the operator 
still continues to force the fluid downwards through the veins, 
one of two things must happen: either the walls of one of the 
great veins will burst and the fluid flow into the cavity of the 
peritoneum or the mediastinal space, or it will take the course of 
the blood from the right auricle, and as already explained trav¬ 
erse the course of the pulmonary circulation and find its way into 
the arteries from the left ventricle of the heart by the way of the 
semi-lunar valves, which open into the great aorta at the com¬ 
mencement of that vessel. 

My experiments with the so-called needle processes of em- 


Injection by the Dodge Nasal Process 
























THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


81 


balming, conducted on cadavers which had been carefully 
opened, the fold of the peritoneum which covers 'the great blood 
vessels removed and the vein and aorta laid bare, has convinced 
me that this very seldom occurs, and when it does occur but a 
very small portion of the fluid finds its way through the pul¬ 
monary circulation to the arteries. 

“But/’ says one, ‘‘Why should not the fluid naturally follow 
the course of the blood through the circulation into the arteries?” 
I am free to acknowledge that, to a person possessed of only a 
limited knowledge of the physiology of the vascular system, this 
would seem more than likely to occur; but to a person well ac¬ 
quainted with it, there at once appears great difficulty in the way 
of accomplishing this end. First, it must be borne in mind that 
in life the blood flows through both the superior and inferior 
venae cavae at one and the same time, the two 1 streams of blood 
meeting at the right auricle; while the fluid injected into the head 
is only forced into that chamber by the way of the superior vena 
cava and, the auricular opening (the passage between the right 
and left ventricle) being very small and containing the tricuspid 
valves, the current of fluid will naturally seek the much larger 
opening in the inferior vena cava and flow into that vessel. 
Again, it must be remembered that in life the tricuspid valves 
are constantly opening to receive the blood from the right auri¬ 
cle which, by the contraction of the walls of that chamber, is 
forced through them into the right ventricle, and that the walls 
of the ventricle are constantly contracting and expanding, forc¬ 
ing the blood through the semi-lunar valves and along the pul¬ 
monary arteries to the lungs, from which it is conveyed by the 
pulmonary veins to the left auricle, which, by its contraction 
forces it through the mitral valves into the left ventricle, which 
in turn forces it through the semi-lunar valves into the great 
aorta. 

Now, it will be borne in mind that in life this is accom¬ 
plished by the muscular action of the heart, while in death the 
heart is not only still but its muscular walls are very liable to be 
contracted to such an extent as to make it almost impossible for 
the fluid to pass through it at all; and it can readily be seen that 
before this can be accomplished the pressure exerted by the in¬ 
jector would be more than likely to burst the walls of the vein, 


82 


I 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


thus allowing the fluid 'to escape* before it would pass through 
this circuitous route into the arteries. 

For the sake of dispelling this false theory of embalming I 
will ask: Why should the embalmer be told to discard a 
method, by which he knows that his fluid is passing through the 
arteries and into the tissues of the body, for a method of which 
he knows little or nothing and of which the best that can be said 
is that, as a means to preserve the body, it is of very doubtful 
utility? The answer to this must be the absence of mutilation 
required in this process. 

Now, to do arterial embalming on the average body re¬ 
quires an incision less than one-half inch in length and one- 
fourth inch in depth, and I have never yet seen the person who 
would allow a needle to be inserted into the head by any one of 
the so-called needle processes that would not be perfectly willing 
to allow the artery to be raised by a skilful embalmer. 

The objections to all methods of embalming have been 
brought about by men who have done their work carelessly and 
recklessly and without a sufficient knowledge of the art to enable 
them to do the work acceptably. When these men are forced 
out of the business, as they inevitably will be sooner or later, we 
will hear no more objections raised against embalming, and the 
ice-box and cavity worker will be heard of no more. 


Chapter VIII. 


PURGING. 

This word is used by embalmers to describe the 
escape of fluid matter from the stomach or lungs of a dead 
body. To 'the new and inexperienced embalmer, purging is one 
of the worst things that can happen to a body that has come un¬ 
der his care; but when he has had a longer and wider experi¬ 
ence he will come to regard even the worst cases as a trivial mat¬ 
ter, and will not hesitate to assure the friends that, if allowed to 
treat the body in a proper manner, they need have no anxiety 
about the result, as he can promise them that these manifesta¬ 
tions will speedily disappear and the body be in perfect condition. 

Purging is always the result of pressure caused by an ac¬ 
cumulation of gases. From whatever part of the body the mat¬ 
ter may come the cause is the same. When we have an accumu¬ 
lation of gases in the stomach, colon and small intestines, we are 
liable to get an effusion of more or less fluid matter from the 
mouth or nostrils or both. This is the almost inevitable result of 
the pressure of gases upward, and can be almost instantly re¬ 
lieved by puncturing the stomach in a proper manner, thus re¬ 
leasing the gases and relieving the pressure, when these mani¬ 
festations will almost immediately cease. To perform this oper- 
tion it is first necessary to locate the cardiac portion of the stom¬ 
ach. This can be done by passing the finger down along the 
breast bone until you come in contact with the ensiform appen¬ 
dix (point of the breast bone); from this point measuring down¬ 
ward one and one-fourth inches, then passing to the left until 
you come in contact with the short ribs, and there making your 
incision. Before making an incision in the stomach, a rubber 



84 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


tube, at least three to four feet long, should be attached to the 
trocar or aspirator tube and the other end of the tube placed in 
a bottle partly filled with fluid, which should always be a good 
deodorizer and disinfectant. When the trocar is introduced into 
the stomach the gases will pass through the tube into the bottle; 
and, if the fluid is what it should be, the odor is completely de¬ 
stroyed. If the disease is of a contagious or infectious nature, 
any germs which may have escaped with the gases will be killed, 
thus lessening the danger of infection to yourself and the friends 
of the deceased. The escape of the gases from the stomach and 
intestines can be greatly facilitated by pressing on the abdomen 
with the hands. 

When the gases have been removed from the stomach in 
this way, care should be taken not to remove the trocar until it 
has been ascertained if it is necessary to pump out the contents o£ 
'the stomach; as, while the stomach is distended with gases, it 
is an easy matter to pass a trocar into it, but after the gas has es¬ 
caped the stomach will collapse and it will be found a very diffi¬ 
cult matter to replace it. 

Before attempting to aspirate the stomach a small quantity 
of fluid should be injected into it, then the aspirator may be at¬ 
tached and the removal of the contents easily accomplished, after 
which a small quantity of fluid should be injected. 

For removing the contents of the stomach some embalmers 
prefer the use of the stomach tube, which may be passed through 
the mouth and oesophagus into that organ and both fluid and 
gases removed. When this is attempted, the rigor of the con¬ 
strictor muscles, which bear on the oesophagus, should be first 
broken up by moving the head backward and forward; then, by 
drawing the tongue forward and pressing the head backward, the 
tube may be inserted in the throat and pressed down through 
the oesophagus into the stomach. For myself, I do not like this 
method. First, it is a disagreeable job; second, it cannot always 
or even often be successfully accomplished, as, if there is any 
rigor of the muscles present it will be found very difficult if not 
impossible to pass the tube into the stomach, while by the 
method first mentioned it is a matter very easily accomplished. 

In cases where the purging from the stomach is very copi¬ 
ous, it is sometimes well to lay the body across some solid sub- 



Removing Gases from the Stomach. 







THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


85 


stance and force the purging by pressing with the hands upon 
the back, forcing the contents of the stomach through the oeso¬ 
phagus and out of the mouth. This is sometimes the quickest 
and easiest method of obviating the difficulty. 

PURGING FROM THE LUNGS.—The escape from the 
lungs through the mouth or nostrils of a frothy mucus not un- 
frequently mixed with blood is called purging from the lungs. 
This may be easily distinguished from that which escapes from 
the stomach by its appearance. If the matter is from the stom¬ 
ach it will usually be of a brownish color seldom mixed with 
blood, but sometimes may be of a yellow or greenish hue, and 
under certain conditions considerably mixed with blood. In one 
case that came under my observation almost two quarts of blood 
were drawn from the stomach. This I have no doubt was caused 
by aneurism of the gastric artery, although the cause of death 
was supposed to be heart disease. When matter is expelled from 
the lungs, it means that putrefactive bacteria are multiplying in 
the air cells of the lungs, breaking down the tissues and causing 
a generation of gases which fills the air cells and bronchial tubes, 
causing an escape of mucus and blood from those organs. This 
trouble can usually be overcome by placing the hand on the 
breast bone and pressing downward, at the same time holding a 
large damp sponge over the mouth to catch any fluid that may 
escape. In this way the lungs can often be emptied of their fluid 
contents and the gases removed, after which a crooked trocar or 
trachea tube should be inserted into the trachea and the fluid in¬ 
jected through the bronchi into the lungs. This being properly 
and successfully done there will be no return of the trouble. 

Although in most cases this treatment is effectual, I have 
found that in some cases the gases cannot be removed in this 
way; and, unless they are, the fluid cannot be forced down 
through the trachea into the air cells of the lungs, as the same 
power which causes the purging will also force the fluid back in 
the same way. This difficulty may be overcome by placing the 
body on the breast bone across some solid substance, like a chair 
or stool, and, while the assistant holds the head, the embalmer 
should press between the shoulders with his knee; by so doing 
he can generally force the gases and fluid matter from the lungs, 
after which an injection in the trachea will be easy. Should the 


86 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


body be a heavy one and the embalmer find it difficult to place 
it in the position named above, the gases can be removed by 
inserting a twelve-inch trocar between the second and third ribs 
about two inches from the sternum or breast bone and passing 
it through the lungs. 


Chapter IX. 


BACTERIOLOGY 

AND ITS RELATION TO CONTAGIOUS DISEASES. 

Much has been said and written on bacteriology and its re¬ 
lation to the preservation of the dead. Certain teachers of em¬ 
balming have done considerable advertising of themselves by 
exploiting their superior knowledge of this science; and some of 
them have made the claim that other teachers of the same art 
were not qualified to teach the science of embalming on account 
of their lack of knowledge of the functions of disease germs and 
putrefactive bacteria. 

For myself, I do not lay claim to being well versed in this 
science and, with all due respect to my brother teachers, I would 
say: in my opinion the things they do not know about this very 
* occult science would make a much larger book than those of 
which they have even a superficial knowledge. 

I have, however, read and studied this science, until I think 
I am prepared to impart to the embalmer all the knowledge it 
is necessary for him to possess in order to be able to pursue his 
calling in an intelligent manner. This I will do as briefly as pos¬ 
sible, trying not to burden the mind of my reader with a multi¬ 
tude of scientific names by which the various kinds and forms of 
disease germs are distinguished. 

If one could for a moment be possessed of eyes equal to a 
powerful microscope and look about him, he would behold an 
hitherto unseen world of minute organisms known as bacteria or 
germs. So very small are these organisms and so diversified in 
their form and movements, that scientific men were for a long 
time engaged in the occupation of studying them, before they 



88 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


came to a definite conclusion as to whether the bacteria belonged 
to the animal or vegetable world. It is now, however, definitely 
settled that they are plants, so infinitesimally small as to almost 
surpass human conception. It is said by good authorities, of 
certain forms of these little germs that, if they could be strung 
together like a string of beads, it would require from one thou¬ 
sand to fifteen hundred of them to reach across the head of an 
ordinary pin. 

In form the bacteria vary greatly; some are rod shaped, 
others round, still others spiral like a cork screw. This 
little organism is simply a very minute cell. It can be revealed 
by 'the microscope in almost any place or at any time. They 
may be found in the air, in the water, on the surface of the earth, 
on the leaves of the trees and on vegetables and fruits; every 
bunch of grapes is covered with them. The most delicious 
fruits of the tropics, as well as the productions of the temperate 
regions, are all found teeming with countless multitudes of these 
little cells to which men have applied the term bacteria. Under 
the microscope bacteria appear as pale, almost transparent 
bodies; and in order to study them more closely the student 
usually stains them with aniline dyes, which enables him to see 
them with the microscope much more clearly than he otherwise 
could do. 

It is not strange that scientists were for some time uncer¬ 
tain as to whether the bacteria were animal or vegetable sub¬ 
stances, as they are very wonderful and mysterious in many 
ways. They have no mouths and yet they feed or consume; they 
have no nerves and yet when placed in fluid tliev swim, turn 
around, dart back and forth, roll over, wriggle and sway to and 
fro, exactly as little live insects are seen to do in foul water when 
subjected to examination under the microscope. 

They have no sex, and yet under favorable conditions there 
seems to be no limit to their powers of reproduction. A certain 
degree of heat and moisture and certain forms of organic mat¬ 
ter are necessary conditions for the promotion of the activities of 
the bacteria. In a human body the cadaveric or putrefactive 
bacteria multiply most rapidly in the albuminous cells. It is 
said that certain forms of these little germs, when placed under 
favorable conditions, have been known to multiply or reproduce 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


89 


themselves at a rate of from one single cell to sixteen million in 
the short space of twenty-four hours. But some one asks : ‘ How 
is this accomplished since they have no sex?” I answer, by ab¬ 
sorption. You will notice, by close observation under the micro¬ 
scope while under cultivation, a little constriction appear around 
one of the cells. It grows a little longer, then falls apart, and in 
the place of one there are two; these two absorb, in like manner 
fall apart, and there are four; these four perform the same act, 
and there are eight; and so on by the law of multiplication until 
millions are produced. If this be true it may be asked, what hin¬ 
ders the world from becoming overrun by the multiplication of 
these little germs. To this I would answer, the law of the sur¬ 
vival of the fittest, which applies to all forms of organic life, ap¬ 
plies with equal force to the bacteria. 

A struggle for existence has been going on among all forms 
of organic beings since the world began, and this struggle is still 
going on and will continue until the end of time. 

Among the various forms of bacteria, one species suc¬ 
ceeds the other. The conditions, which cause the extermina¬ 
tion of one form of life, are just suited to the production of some 
other form. The hardier species struggle with the weaker as the 
food grows scarce, and the weaker succumb to the stronger. 

Many have doubtless been led to believe that the bacteria 
were all seeds of disease; this however is not true. Among the 
multitude of plants which are growing upon the earth but very 
few are poisonous. So with the bacteria, millions of which are 
being consumed by human beings every day. Most of them are 
healthy; but, as in the visible plants only one in many thousands 
is an enemy to life, so in these minute organisms, only one in 
many millions is productive of disease. Of the diseases pro¬ 
duced by bacteria I shall consider a few, and devote some space 
to giving directions, as to how they should be dealt with in order 
to check the spread and ravages of the diseases which they are 
instrumental in producing. 

PATHOGENIC BACTERIA.—The germs that are in¬ 
strumental in producing diseases which are the enemies of man¬ 
kind are classed as pathogenic or poisonous bacteria. These 
species do not grow on plants, neither in or on decomposing 
organic matter, but in the human body, where the different spe- 


90 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


cies grow in different ways and as a matter of course produce 
different results. These forms differ but little in appearance 
from the ordinary harmless bacteria, being like them round, rod 
shaped and spiral. Like the last mentioned, they grow at the 
expense of the material they feed upon, produce new chemical 
compounds and these compounds produce disease. 

As everyone who has ever had any experience in a hospital 
well knows, one of the greatest dangers attending cuts, sores or 
gunshot wounds on the body is the tendency to blood poisoning. 
This disease, by whatever name known, is caused by the entrance 
into the wound of a living germ, a certain species of bacteria 
called micrococcus. These poisonous germs fall into the wound 
from the air like dust, or the poison may be conveyed by the 
finger nails or in some other way wholly unknown. Now it be¬ 
comes the duty of the attending physician or nurse to use anti¬ 
septics for the purpose of preventing putrefaction and conse¬ 
quently blood poisoning. 

CONSUMPTION. 

It is not my purpose to enter into any extensive ex¬ 
planation of the diseases caused by bacteria, as I am not writing 
for the information of scientific men; but that my readers may 
have a comprehensive knowledge of the cause of certain dis- 
eases which are classed as contagious and understand what part 
the bacteria have in imparting these diseases, I will give a brief 
description of a few of them. 

I think that tuberculosis or consumption, by a large ma¬ 
jority of people, is not regarded as contagious; and therefore lit¬ 
tle care is taken, by the friends of those who are so unfortunate 
as to contract this disease, to prevent others from becoming in¬ 
fected with it. I consider, therefore, a few lines of explanation, 
as to the relation of the bacteria in this disease and the precau¬ 
tions to be taken, not out of place in this work. 

I believe only a small percentage of the people are very lia¬ 
ble to contagion from tuberculous germs. If all were equally 
liable there would be a much larger percentage of the people 
afflicted with it than at present, although it is estimated that 
very nearly one per cent, of all the people that die are carried off 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


91 


prematurely by consumption. For many years it was generally 
believed that consumption was almost entirely an inherited dis¬ 
ease ; but at the present time scientists have concluded that, 
while the tendency to consumption is undoubtedly inherited, the 
disease is almost always contracted by contagion. If, therefore, 
people predisposed to consumption could be kept away from the 
germs of the disease, there would be no more tuberculosis. 

As regards the sources of contagion from tuberculous germs, 
they are almost too numerous to mention. In many cases a 
germ is conveyed into the intestinal canal with the food or drink, 
but in by far the larger number of cases they are breathed in 
with the air. It is my opinion, based on reading and observa¬ 
tion, that the greatest source of contagion is from the sputum de¬ 
posited on the sidewalks and in the streets by people suffering 
with this dread disease. The sputum drys, the tubercle baccili 
arise in the dust and are breathed in, by persons already in a bad 
state of health or with an inherited predisposition, and disease 
and premature death is the result. 

Some of the state boards of health have passed very rigid 
rules, in regard to the preparation of bodies dying of this dis¬ 
ease for transportation, and I have no doubt it is well to do so; 
but in my humble opinion it would be a much more effective way 
of retarding its progress to quarantine the victims of this disease 
in some healthy and comfortable home provided by the state for 
that purpose and not allow them to walk the streets spreading the 
elements of contagion among the people. 

It should always be remembered, by the friends of these un¬ 
fortunates, that it is when the sputum has been, allowed to dry 
that the germs are released and become dangerous to those who 
are obliged to breath the infected air. 

Every family, which is obliged to have the care of a tuber¬ 
culous patient, should provide themselves with a good disinfec¬ 
tant ; and spittoons or other vessels used by the patient should 
always contain a quantity of the disinfecting fluid, or if papers 
are used for the purpose of receiving the deposits of sputum they 
should be burned before it has had time to dry. If these simple 
rules were always observed, many valuable lives would be saved 
and much trouble and suffering avoided. 

Although consumption is admitted to be a contagious di- 


92 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


sease, I think there is little danger to be apprehended from the 
dead body. However, if the embalmer has reason to believe that he 
is very susceptible to this disease, he should take the precaution 
of spraying the room with a good disinfectant immediately after 
entering it; after which he should spray and sponge the body, 
rinse the mouth and nostrils with a disinfecting fluid and pack the 
apertures with cotton; after doing this no danger need be appre¬ 
hended. When no known disinfectant is at hand, a good formal¬ 
dehyde fluid can always be depended upon; but any fluid can be 
made a disinfectant by adding one ounce of bi-chloride of mer¬ 
cury to six quarts of fluid. 

TYPHOID FEVER. 

This disease is one of the serious diseases of 'the body 
which has its origin in a specific germ. The bacteria causing 
this disease finds its way into the alimentary canal, either 
through breathing in the germs from the excretions of the body, 
by taking them into the system with drinking water or, as some¬ 
times but rarely happens, by eating infected food. 

The typhoid fever germ is a little rod-shaped baccillus, very 
much larger than the species which cause consumption. The 
germs of this disease usually make an attack upon the body 
through the intestinal canal; some authorities say that they are 
never found in any other part, while others assert that they often 
spread to and involve other internal organs. I am of the opinion 
that the last named theory is the correct one. 

Typhoid fever is classed as an infectious but not a conta¬ 
gious disease, as the germs do not live for any length of time in 
the air and cannot be carried in the clothing; hence, the disease 
seldom becomes epidemic. 

There is little or no danger of contracting this disease from 
a dead body, unless it be by inhaling the gases that may be al¬ 
lowed to escape from the stomach or bowels, when the embalmer 
finds it necessary to puncture these organs. This can easily be 
avoided, by attaching a long tube to the trocar and putting the 
end of it into a bottle partly filled with an embalming fluid which 
contains a good disinfectant. This, if the fluid is properly made, 
will answer the double purpose of destroying the germs if there 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


93 


are any escaping and at (the same time deodorizing the gases; 
thereby making it much more pleasant as well as safe for both 
the embalmer and his patron. 

For a description of the morbid conditions and treatment 
of cases dead of this disease see Chapter XII. 

ASIATIC CHOLERA. 

This disease, although known as Asiatic cholera, is pe¬ 
culiar to no particular country or people. Although its 
greatest ravages have been in the far East, it has occasionally 
crossed the ocean and broken out in this country with great vio¬ 
lence. The last visitation of this dread disease to these shores 
was in 1866, when it raged to quite a serious extent in New Or¬ 
leans, St. Louis, and some other parts of the South and South¬ 
west. Until within a few years the specific cause of this dread 
•disease was not known. In the early days, when it raged with 
such violence in Asia and British India, it was believed to be a 
terrible visitation of the Almighty for the punishment of sin. 
Now it is known to be caused by a little curved baccilus, which 
finds a lodgment in the alimentary canal and, the conditions be¬ 
ing favorable, multiplies with astonishing rapidity, until within a 
few hours perhaps the body may be filled with the poison which 
it generates and death be the result. 

It is to be hoped and believed, that sanitary science has 
reached such a state of perfection, as to preclude the probability 
of this terrible disease ever again gaining a foothold here. But 
such may not be the case; and it behooves the undertakers, who 
are not supposed to shrink from caring for any disease however 
virulent, to be armed with a knowledge of sanitary science, that 
will enable them to care for the dead successfully and, as far as 
may be, protect the living. 

Treatment. 

Treatment of a cholera case should ndt differ materially 
from that of any other contagious disease. The first thing to be 
done is to spray the room with a well known and reliable disin¬ 
fectant ; after which the body should be well sprayed with a dis¬ 
infecting fluid, wrapped with a sheet which has been previously 
■saturated with a good disinfectant and buried at once. 


1 


94 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


Care should always be taken not to touch the body with the 
hands until it has been enfolded in the sheet, unless the embalmer 
is, as he always should be, provided with rubber gloves, in which 
case it will do no harm, as the gloves can be quickly disinfected. 
The germs of cholera will live for a long time in damp places, 
but dry heat destroys them quickly. All clothes that have been 
worn or slept in by the deceased should be burned, but may be 
disinfected by sulphurous acid gas and dry heat, although this is 
a dangerous practice. 

Before handling highly contagious cases, 'the undertaker 
should saturate a portion of a pocket handkerchief or some other 
fabric with a good formaldehyde disinfectant and, placing it 
under the collar of his vest or coat, inhale the gas which passes 
off from it while attending to the body. This will undoubtedly 
act as an antiseptic and go far towards minimizing the danger of 
contagion to the operator. 

YELLOW FEVER. 

Yellow fever is so called on account of its tendency to 
turn the body yellow. The cause of this disease is not defin¬ 
itely known, but it is very probable that it is caused by a specific 
germ, although the nature of the germ has never been dis¬ 
covered. 

Yellow fever is very seldom heard of in cold climates, but 
seems to be peculiar to tropical countries, although it often visits 
the southern parts of the United States with disastrous results. 
It always disappears on the approach of cold weather, the germs 
apparently not being able to survive a degree of cold below 
thirty-two degrees F. 

It is probable that the germs could be destroyed by the 
proper use of bi-chloride of mercury or formaldehyde, but it is 
not at all likely that the health officers would allow a body dead 
of this disease to be embalmed. It is much more probable that 
they would order the corpse to be wrapped in a sheet that had 
previously been saturated with corrosive sublimate and buried at 
once. If, however, the body is to be embalmed, it should be 
treated in the same manner as any other highly contagious dis¬ 
ease. 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


95 


SMALLPOX. 

Smallpox is a highly contagious disease, characterized by 
fever and by the appearance of an eruption on the surface of the 
body; this eruption, after passing through various stages, finally 
dries up, leaving more or less deep scars or pits on the face, com¬ 
monly called pock marks. 

Not much is known of the early history of smallpox. The 
earliest accounts of it date back to the sixth century. It was 
known in England as early as the thirteenth century and made 
its appearance in this country soon after its discovery. 

In most civilized countries this disease has been largely 
robbed of its terrors by vaccination. When a person has been 
vaccinated in early life and afterward contracts this disease, the 
chance of recovery is excellent, as the disease then shows itself 
only in a mild form of varioloid; although it is claimed that after 
a long term of years a person who has been vaccinated may, and 
in some cases does, have the disease in its most violent form. 

This disease is probably communicable from its earliest 
stages to its close, but the period when there is probably the most 
danger of contagion is from the first stages of eruption until the 
postules are dried up. Smallpox is probably a bacterial disease, 
although this is not positively known. 

Treatment. 

In almost all cases of smallpox there is an immune 
attendant in charge of the patient; and, when death en¬ 
sues and the services of an undertaker are called for, he should 
avail himself of the services of the nurse in a way that will save 
him from the danger of infection. This he can do by providing 
himself with a liberal quantity of a known disinfectant, a sponge 
and a quantity of absorbent cotton. On arriving at the house do 
not enter 'the premises, but call the attendant and, while keeping 
a safe distance from the body, give specific directions how to pro¬ 
ceed to put it in safe condition to handle, which can be done by 
thoroughly sponging the body, washing out the mouth and nos¬ 
trils, packing the apertures with cotton, and then bandaging the 
body with absorbent cotton, after which the bandages should be 
well dampened with the disinfectant. The only danger remain¬ 
ing is in entering the premises and, if the attendant is able to 


96 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


move the body from the house without the assistance of the 
undertaker, by all means have him do so ; if not, and you are 
obliged to enter 'the infected premises to assist him, have the at¬ 
tendant first spray the air of the room with a strong formalde¬ 
hyde disinfectant, then saturate your pocket handkerchief with a 
disinfecting fluid, tuck it inside the lapel of your vest, and inhale 
the fumes while doing the work. This may not be a sure anti¬ 
septic, but in my opinion it is the wisest thing to be done under 
the circumstances. 

If these directions are properly followed out I think there 
will be little or no danger in handling smallpox. 

In handling bodies dying of this disease, as in all other 
highly contagious cases, the undertaker should provide himself 
with a special suit of clothes for the occasion, rubber or mackin¬ 
tosh preferred for the outside. After these are worn, they should 
be disinfected and kept from coming in contact with other 
clothing. 

DIPHTHERIA. 

Of all the diseases that flesh is heir to, I presume there are 
none prevalent in this country that, previous to the advent of anti¬ 
toxin, cast such a gloom over the household as the appearance of 
diphtheria. This terrible scourge of childhood is caused by the 
bacteria. But scientists are not yet quite certain whether the dis¬ 
ease is the result of a specific germ or whether in different re¬ 
gions and under different conditions it is sometimes one and 
sometimes another species of germ life that causes the disease. 
Membranous croup is believed to differ but little from diphthe¬ 
ria, they being equally contagious. But that the disease is 
caused by the same kind of germ is open to doubt, with the prob¬ 
abilities strongly against the specific germ theory. It has been 
shown that certain forms of this disease are caused by a germ, 
known as streptococcus, which finds its way. into the membranes 
of the air passages; and, if these mucous membranes are in a con¬ 
dition to encourage their growth, a membranous exudation ap¬ 
pears on the mucous surface, usually of the tonsils and back of 
the throat. But the disease sometimes complicates the lungs, 
stomach and intestines, and even the bladder has been known to 
be affected. 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


97 


As in tuberculosis so in this disease, if all of the material ex¬ 
pectorated were burned or properly disinfected, there would be 
much less danger of the disease becoming epidemic. But it is 
often the cas'e that careless or ignorant mothers or nurses will 
allow the malterial expectorated to be left to dry on papers or in 
cuspidores without any disinfecting fluid having been applied to 
it; then the germs will rise in the dust and be inhaled, thus prop¬ 
agating the disease. For it has been ascertained that the germs 
of diphtheria will remain alive and active a long time when dried, 
and they have often been found floating in the dust where pa¬ 
tients sick with this disease have been confined. 

The bacillus of diphtheria can be readily killed by any of 
the staple germicides, such as carbolic acid, corrosive sublimate 
and formaldehyde. To disinfect the rooms, where diphtheria pa¬ 
tients have been confined, chlorine or formaldehyde gas is the 
best agent that can be employed. 

In diphtheria, as in all other highly contagious cases, the 
embalmer should take every precaution against spreading the 
disease. Care should be taken to change the clothing worn 
while handling the body, before attending to another call or go¬ 
ing home to his family, also to wash the hands, face and hair in 
a weak solution of formaldehyde or carbolic acid. All instru¬ 
ments used should be kept separate from other instruments until 
they have been sterilized. In fact I think it would be well for the 
embalmer to have a special set of instruments to be used only on 
contagious cases; they need not be extensive; a partially worn 
out cabinet and a few instruments will answer the purpose. If 
sterilizing is not convenient, they should be well washed in a 
good disinfectant before being returned to the case. This should 
never be neglected, and all sponges or towels used should also 
be well washed in a safe disinfectant and the grip sponged inside 
and out with the same fluid. 


Treatment. 

In many localities the embalming and holding of 
bodies for any length of time will not be allowed by 
the board of health, but they will usually direct the body to be 
handled according to rules laid down by themselves. But, should 
it be found necessary or expedient to embalm a case dead of 


98 


THE PRACTICAL EMBAL'MER. 


this disease, it may be done 'in the ordinary manner, special 
attention being given to the throat and lungs. This can be 
•best done in the following manner: use a nasal or other tube 
in the throat and inject the fluid, then wash out the nasal passage 
well, after which inject the lungs through the trachea. Now in¬ 
troduce the trocar under the skin, by making an incision just be¬ 
hind the ear on either side, and inject fluid under the skin of the 
neck; this will be quickly absorbed in the tissues and destroy any 
putrefactive or disease germs that may be lurking there. 

The body should always be thoroughly sponged with a dis¬ 
infecting fluid and all apertures, especially the nostrils and 
throat, packed with cotton saturated with fluid. After which, as 
an additional safeguard, the body should be bandaged with ab¬ 
sorbent cotton. In all highly contagious cases I think it advisa¬ 
ble to use an approved formaldehyde fluid, as the embalmer is 
then certain that he has a safe and sure disinfectant. 

PNEUMONIA. 

Pneumonia, sometimes called lung fever or congestion of the 
lungs, was long believed to be the result of a neglected cold or 
exposure to cold and wet, causing inflammation of the lungs and 
consequent fever. These may be a factor in causing the trouble, 
by getting the body in a condition to receive the germ; but it is 
now a well established fact that pneumonia is caused by a species 
of bacteria known as pneumococcus. Some believe this little germ 
to be the sole cause of the disease, but it is probable that the 
germ would seldom gain a foothold in the body unless it was 
prepared for it by exposure to cold or wet. It is said that in 
many cases of diphtheria the germ finds its way into the lungs 
•and complicates the disease by bringing on pneumonia. The 
lurking places of the pneumococcus outside of the body are not 
known; but they are frequently found in the mouths of healthy 
people, and it is probable they could only cause trouble under 
■conditions favorable to the disease. 

Pneumonia is not considered a contagious disease, but has 
for some time been regarded as mildly infectious. To disinfect 
a body, dead of pneumonia, embalm arterially, inject the lungs 
through the trachea and wash out the mouth and nostrils by 
using the nasal tube. 


. 1 1 .« 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


99 


SCARLET FEVER. 

There is much, in the nature and mode of communication of 
scarlet fever, to lead to the belief that it is a bacterial disease, 
although as far as I can learn this has not yet been proven. It is 
certainly a highly contagious disease and very often proves fatal. 
That period of the disease during which the scales are shed is be¬ 
lieved to be the itime of most danger of contagion, but it is not a 
safe thing to come in contact with at any time. The germ is be¬ 
lieved to enter the system by being breathed in, but may be taken 
into the body with the food. 

Treatment. 

In this case, as in all highly contagious cases, the treatment 
should be thorough. First spray the room, then the body, after¬ 
ward sponging it thoroughly; then wash out and pack the aper¬ 
tures with an approved disinfectant, embalm the body in the 
usual way and your work may be considered complete. If the 
body is to be shipped the rules of the board of health must be 
strictly complied with. All clothing which has come in contact 
with the body, should be burned, as that is the only safe way of 
stamping out a highly contagious and dangerous disease. If this 
be not allowed, disinfect by using sulphurous acid or formalde¬ 
hyde gas. 


OTHER CONTAGIOUS DISEASES. 

Probably measles, whooping cough and all the other conta¬ 
gious and infectious diseases are caused by a specific germ; but 
the precise nature of all these organisms, so far as I am aware, is 
not known nor is it material to our business. Men of science are 
busily engaged in studying the nature of these little enemies of 
the human race; and I have no doubt that the time will come 
when sanitary science will have reached such a stage of perfection 
that these little pests with the diseases which they propagate will 
be stamped out of existence and return no more to plague the 
children of men. Then will the earth be a much better place to 
live upon, and the men, women and children of the future be 
much happiier than they have been in the past. 


LofC. 


i 


Chapter X. 


HYGIENE AND SANITATION. 

Hygiene and Sanitation are very nearly synonymous terms 
relating to the laws of health. It is necessary for the embalmer 
to be possessed of at least a superficial knowledge of sanitary 
science, as he is often called upon to take charge of bodies that 
have died of a contagious or infectious disease, and should at all 
times be prepared to disinfect such bodies in a proper manner, 
thus rendering them harmless to the living. After the funeral, 
if called upon to do so, he should be qualified to disinfect the 
apartment, or if need be, the whole house, in which a conta¬ 
gious or infectious case has been confined. 

Many of the states have passed laws requiring the under¬ 
taker to pass an examination, before a State Board of Embalm- 
ers, on subjects relative to his qualifications as an embalmer and 
his knowledge of sanitary science as far as relates to the proper 
performance of his duties in the care of contagious and infec¬ 
tious cases. He is required to be well versed in the rules of the 
State Board of Health in relation to preparing bodies that have 
died of contagious diseases for shipment, and also in methods 
used to protect himself and family and prevent spreading the 
disease by carrying the germs in his clothing or about his per¬ 
son, or by infected instruments and other pharaphernalia used 
on or about the body of the victim of the contagious or infec¬ 
tious disease. 

It is a well known fact that the germs of contagion adhere 
tenaciously to woolen clothing; thus, a careless or ignorant un¬ 
dertaker may be the indirect cause of sacrificing the lives of 
many innocent people by neglecting to disinfect the clothing 


4 



THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


IOI 


worn while in the performance of his duty in caring for a highly 
contagious and dangerous case. 

Contagious and infectious cases include all those diseases 
believed to be caused by a specific germ; but it is by no means 
certain that all contagious cases are caused by bacteria, although 
many people believe this to be true, and I have no doubt that 
they are the origin of a vast majority, if not all, of the diseases 
classed as contagious. A case which infects the air and can be 
carried from place to place about the person or in the clothing, 
or can be communicated by contact and is liable to become epi¬ 
demic, is classed as a contagious disease; while an infectious 
case is one which is usually contracted indirectly by breathing in¬ 
fected gases arising from the excretions from a diseased body, or 
from drinking water or eating food which has in some way be¬ 
come infected with the poison. It is, however, very hard to 
draw the line exactly between contagious and infectious diseases. 
Almost all contagious diseases are infectious, but all infectious 
diseases are not believed to be contagious. Typhoid fever and 
certain forms of peritonitis are believed to be infectious but not 
contagious. Some would-be authorities class all venereal dis¬ 
eases as infectious and not contagious, while others, equally or 
perhaps more reliable, class them as contagious but not infec¬ 
tious. The word contagion meaning to come in contact with or 
to touch, I am of the opinion that the latter classification is the 
correct one. 

A drug or chemical which destroys the germs of disease 
is called a disinfectant or germicide. There are many known 
disinfectants, but onlv a few of them are reliable. Extremes of 
heat, and in some cases of cold, destroy the germs of disease. 
Pure air and sunshine are nature’s disinfectants. Chloride of 
zinc, charcoal, sulphur, and chloride of lime are all mild disin¬ 
fectants ; but those chemicals which are recognized as disinfec¬ 
tants by the various boards of health are bichloride of mer¬ 
cury, formaldehyde, and carbolic acid, used in solution for dis¬ 
infecting bodies; while formaline gas, chlorine gas or sulphurous 
acid gas are considered the only safe and reliable agents for dis¬ 
infecting a room or house where a person sick of a contagious 
or infectious disease has been confined. Of all those mentioned 
for disinfecting bodies, I think bichloride of mercury is the 


102 


THE PRACTICAL EMBAL'MER. 

/ 

best, as it is reliable and not disagreeable, while to most people 
the odor from either carbolic acid or formaldehyde is very dis¬ 
agreeable. 

RELIABLE DISINFECTANTS. 

PROPORTIONS TO BE USED.—Of formaldehyde a ten 
per cent, solution is considered a reliable disinfectant; of bichlo¬ 
ride of mercury one ounce to a gallon of water is considered a 
safe and reliable disinfectant, while carbolic acid is considered 
safe at four per cent. 

FORMALINE GAS.—For a disinfectant for apartments 
and houses probably the best and by far the most reliable is 
formaline gas, which is easily produced by any of the gas gen¬ 
erators for sale by many of the first-class dealers in undertakers' 
and embalmers’ supplies, full directions for the use of which are 
supplied by the dealer. 

CE 1 LORINE GAS can easily be produced by placing a 
quantity of chloride of lime in an old vessel, moistening it with 
water, and then pouring over it about three ounces of muriatic 
or acetic acid to every pound of chloride of lime used. This 
will make a reliable disinfectant if used in these proportions! 
One pound of chloride of lime is sufficient for an ordinary sized 
room. 

SULPHUROUS ACID GAS can be produced by placing a 
quantity of sulphur in an old vessel, covering this with the same 
quantity of powdered charcoal, saturating the whole with alcohol 
and applying a lighted match, when plenty of gas will be re¬ 
leased. 

In all cases where either of the foregoing methods are used, 
the apartment to be disinfected should be tightly closed and kept 
so for ten or twelve hours, when the doors and windows should 
be opened and the sunshine allowed to penetrate and the air to 
pass freely through the rooms. 

Of all the agents named for disinfecting apartments, I think 
formaline gas is much to be preferred, as it does not corrode gilt 
frames, picture moulding, or other gilded articles which may be 
in the room; neither does it bleach fabrics or destroy the color 
in carpets and other furnishings, while either chlorine or sul¬ 
phurous acid gas will both bleach the furniture and corrode 
gilded work. 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


103 


DEODORIZERS. 

The embalmer should be careful to distinguish between 
germicides and the various deodorants which are extensively 
advertised as disinfectants but really are not possessed of 
any germicidal powers. A good deodorant is an excellent 
thing to have about a sick room; but unscrupulous manufac- , 
turers of deodorizers are widely advertising them as sure and 
safe disinfectants—a quality which they do not possess. A de¬ 
odorant is a chemical capable of destroying bad odors, while a 
disinfectant is a drug or chemical that destroys the germs of 
disease. “Platt’s Chlorides” and the “National Disinfectant” are 
good deodorisers but not disinfectants. 

AN ANTISEPTIC is a mild disinfectant capable of re* 
straining the action of disease producing bacteria. 

PROTECTION AGAINST BLOOD POISONING. 

The vocation of an embalmer is classed by accident and 
life insurance companies as a very dangerous one on account 
of the danger of blood poisoning from handling or operating 
upon the bodies of the dead. But, in my opinion, if due pre¬ 
cautions are taken there is little danger to be apprehended from 
this source. The most dangerous cases we are called upon to 
handle are the bodies of those who die of diphtheria, puerperal 
fever or septicemia. When called upon to care for the bodies 
of the victims of these or other poisonous diseases, the em¬ 
balmer should either provide himself with a pair of gauze rubber 
gloves or use an antiseptic grease, often called “hand protector” 
(vaseline containing carbolic acid), applying it to his hands, taking 
pains to ascertain if there are any abrasions of the skin, and 
if any are found rubbing the protector into them thoroughly. 
This will prevent the poison from entering the blood. There is 
little danger of blood poisoning when there are no abrasions of 
the skin, but they sometimes exist and are not discovered. 

Many embalmers are led to believe that to wash the hands 
in an embalming fluid is a sufficient protection, but this is a 
mistaken idea. Many, and perhaps I may say most, embalming 
fluids do not contain a sufficient percentage of either bichloride 
of mercury or formaline to make a safe disinfectant; and if the 


E04 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


fluid is to be depended on at all for this purpose, the embalmer 
should provide himself with a sure and safe disinfectant, several 
of which are now on the market. But my opinion is that either 
gloves or an antiseptic grease is by far the better safeguard. 
Should an embalmer accidentally cut or, what I think is much 
more dangerous, prick himself with a poisonous instrument 
while operating on a dead body, he should quickly wash the 
parts, and then, if there are no abrasions in the mouth or about 
the lips, he should immediately try to remove the poison by 
suction, which is probably the safest thing that can be done. He 
should then soak the part in a formaldehyde disinfectant and 
as soon as possible cauterize the wound. For this purpose use 
nitrate of silver or carbolic acid. 


Chapter XL 


CHEMISTRY OF THE BODY. 

In this chapter it is not intended to attempt more than a 
glance at such facts in chemistry as may be of interest to the em- 
balmer, and to adduce and simplify such points as it is important, 
or at least expedient, that he should be familiar with. With this 
end in view, it is thought well to begin with a few commonplace 
definitions. 

Chemistry is that science which treats of atoms and mole¬ 
cules, and teaches those rules which govern their changes and 
combinations. 

An atom is an ultimate unit of matter, that which cannot be 
divided further. 

A molecule is the smallest quantity of any material substance 
which can exist uncombined. 

Organic chemistry treats of carbon and its compounds, par¬ 
ticularly of cells and their structure. 

Cells are the minute masses of protoplasm, usually with cell 
walls and nucleated, which enter into structure, and on which 
form, shape and consistence depend. 

Life is that form of energy on which all the phenomena ex¬ 
hibited by organized beings depend, from the protoplasm, or first 
vitalized essence, to the highly elaborated and extremely com¬ 
plicated animal body. 

Death is the withdrawal and absence of that energy. 

An organ is a complexus of similar or dissimilar cells, which 
unite to perform a common function. 

Life resists atomic changes and favors construction. 

When life ceases chemical action begins and a series of 
changes ensues which ceases only when the lately organized body 
has been returned to its inorganic elements. 



io6 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


An animal repairs waste. In health repair goes on as fast 
as waste occurs; in disease the waste is usually much greater 
than the repair, and at death, of course, all repair ceases. 

In some cases chemical changes have already begun even 
before life is quite extinct, while in others these processes are 
considerably delayed. 

It is with these chemical changes that the embalmer has to 
deal, and we will now briefly consider their nature, and the 
order in which they occur. 

When a cynic was asked, “What is a man?” he replied, “A 
mass of flesh and bones, bulbous at one end and bifurcated at 
the other.” 

More nearly correct, if but little less rough, was the 
definition of a chemist, who said, “A man is about forty pounds 
solid matter diffused through five pailfulls of water.” 

The embalmer is concerned to know the great excess of 
water in the composition of the human body; not only does the 
blood contain seventy-nine per cent, of water to only twenty-one 
of solids, but the more substantial portions, as muscle, nerve* 
glands, skin and even cartilage and bones are largely composed 
of water. 

This water is one of the most potent factors in the process 
of decomposition. 

When the embalmer is called to a recent case of death, he 
generally finds the body still retaining more or less animal heat; 
that is to say, the latent heat set free by the destruction of mole¬ 
cules of food, and the combustion of the effete carbon com¬ 
pounds from the blood within the lungs during respiration. 

He will then find the flesh soft to the touch, every joint 
easily movable, and the subcutaneous areolar tissue resilient upon 
pressure; but after a period of varying duration another 
phenomenon is observed, known as rigor mortis, or the rigidity 
of death, in which the tissues become firmer to the touch, the 
joints stiff, the inferior maxilla (lower jaw) difficult of being 
moved. , 

This rigidity usually develops in the muscles in a certain 
regular order, beginning with those of the face, and extending 
downward to the lower extremities by successive steps. 

Knee or ankle joints will be heard to snap if forcibly bent. 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


107 


The cause of rigor mortis' is the coagulation of myosin, a 
proteid substance peculiar to the muscles, and a tendency to 
shortening of those muscles by such coagulation. 

It may occur within an hour of death, is rarely delayed more 
than one day and is seldom entirely gone in less than a week. 

It is well for the undertaker to note this phenomenon in 
unusual cases, as in bodies which have been found dead or in 
cases where death may be complicated by strange or suspicious 
conditions. It is often a subject of attention in legal medicine. 

The later changes in the cadaver are but the regular steps 
in the descent of ‘‘earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” 
They are chemical changes simply, and to arrest and delay them 
as long as may be desirable or practicable is the task to the 
achievement of which the embalmer must address himself. 

In order to accomplish this it is necessary to understand 
what the nature of the several processes is. 

Briefly, it is the combustion of the proteids, the union of 
carbon with oxygen, forming carbon dioxide commonly known 
as carbonic acid gas, the setting free of hydrogen gas and the 
union of the latter with sulphur. 

The first step is “fermentation,” that is to say, the decom¬ 
position of organic molecules by means of enzymes, or ferments, 
formed by spontaneous chemical combinations within the body. 
This fermentation usually begins within the transverse colon, 
very soon after death, at temperatures ranging between sixty and 
ninety F. The carbon dioxide then and there produced finds a 
passage through the stomach and aesophagus, and carrying with 
it the mucous secretions of those organs, appears as a froth at the 
mouth and nostrils, which effervescence is popularly, but improp¬ 
erly, known as “purging.” The fermentation process thus de¬ 
scribed extends to the whole intestinal tract, and will continue, if 
not arrested by the embalmer’s art, as long as the supply of ma¬ 
terial remains unexhausted. 

This word fermentation derived from fervere, to boil, was 
used to express any and all chemical processes which produced 
effervescence, but its significance has become restricted to those 
processes of destructive metamorphosis which occur in the break¬ 
ing up of certain organic materials, particularly those which 
abound in sugar. These processes appear to take place sponta- 


io8 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


neously, as when grape* juice turns into wine, or cider into vine¬ 
gar. A common example of this is to be observed in the souring 
of milk; by the rearrangement of ultimate constituents the milk 
sugar passes into lactic acid, according to the following formula: 

C12 H22 O11.H2 0=4 C3 H6 O3, of which equation the 
left member represents milk sugar, the other lactic acid. 

This is a true fermentation although it does not result in the 
formation of CO2. 

In a manner analogous the starchy contents of the stomach, 
during digestion, are converted into sugar and are disposed 
of by fermentation, in the presence of a ferment, this being one 
step in retrograde metamorphosis, carbon dioxide being evolved. 

Another, and more important change*, and one which is more 
difficult to deal with, the successful embalmer must meet and 
overcome. This is putrefaction. Putrefaction may be defined as 
the breaking down and destruction of nitrogenous organic 
matter, which is always hastened and in many cases caused by 
the multiplication of the putrefactive bacteria. 

Those proteids of the higher class, which abound in the 
tissues and in the fluids of the body, among which are Albumin, 
Fibrin, Casein, Globulin, etc. These bodies are not constant 
in their chemical composition, but they vary widely as the con¬ 
ditions under which they occur vary. 

Among these Albumin (from the Latin “albumen,” the 
white of egg) holds the place of first importance. 

As nearly as its chemical formula has been determined it is 
as follows: 

C72 

H112 

N18 =Normal albumin. 

O22 

S2 

It is found chiefly in the blood but enters into the composi¬ 
tion of many of the solids also. Casein (from Latin, caseus 
cheese) is the proteid which chiefly abounds in milk. It contains 
more nitrogen than albumin, and has also more sulphur, together 
with more or less phosphorus. 

Fibrin, which is important to the embalmer, as well as to the 
physician, composes only two parts in a thousand in normal 
blood. It also contains nitrogen and sulphur. 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


109 


Globulin differs from the others mentioned in not being 
soluble in water, but like them it contains nitrogen and sulphur. 

These with a few others are called the animal proteids. They 
are soluble in water, with one exception, and are not precipitated 
by alkaline carbonates, sodium chloride or the weaker acids. 
They are coagulated by heat. 

The change produced on these bodies by organized ferments 
is called proteolysis and is accompanied by the escape of gases, 
chiefly carbon dioxide C O2, and Hydrogen sulphide, H2 S, and 
also ammonia N H3. 

During the putrefactive process the tissues undergo marked 
changes in color, consistence and smell, by which they are event¬ 
ually resolved into their simple inorganic elements. 

In some diseases putrefaction may have begun before death, 
as in septic or typhoid fevers. The first sign of this is generally 
observed in the walls of the abdomen, which take on a faintly 
green hue, the discoloration generally extending tO' the neck and 
loins. The softer tissues decay first, while the firmer resist longer. 

The conditions of free exposure, moisture and high temper¬ 
ature (not above ninety degrees) are most favorable to putrefac¬ 
tion ; it is more active in air than in water, and, contrary to the 
general impression, least active in earth. The rapidity with 
which it will progress varies with the conditions of age, the 
corpulence of the deceased as well as with the nature of the dis¬ 
ease which caused death, and is very variable, so much so- that 
but little is to be inferred from its state of progress as to the time 
the subject has been dead. 

The prevention, or arrest, of these processes of fermentation 
and putrefaction is the task to which the embalmer must address 
his endeavors, and when this is scientifically accomplished, 
it is quite certain that the preservation of a cadaver may be so 
perfect that it will remain unchanged for an indefinite or unlim¬ 
ited period, as in the Egyptian mummies; while on the other 
hand should it be attempted ignorantly, or be carelessly or ineffi¬ 
ciently done, the friends of the deceased may very likely be called 
to endure the view of an “unsightly corse” or perhaps have their 
other senses offended by the presence of a loathsome, foul smell¬ 
ing mass. The means to be used are not mechanical, as in mere 
spicing or balsaming, but are mostly chemical in their nature, 


no 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


and consist in the evacuation of the fluids, as blood or water, the 


destruction of the micro-organisms which constitute the yyme or 
ferment, the hardening of tissues already decaying and the 
preservation or restoration of the natural color. 

The proper and best means, and the details regarding their 
use, in the attainment of this object, will be treated of in other 
parts of this work. 



Chapter XII. 


Morbid Condition and Special Treatment of Bodies 
where Death has resulted from Various Diseases. 

It is not my intention to enter into any extended description 
of diseases, as the embalmer is more particularly concerned with 
the morbid condition of the body than with the pathology of 
the disease which produces it. It is well, however, in a work of 
this kind to give a short explanation of the origin and cause of 
diseases which require special treatment by the embalmer, as the 
study of diseases will the better prepare him to know what con¬ 
dition of things to look for in the bodies which he is called upon 
to embalm. Therefore, in this chapter, I shall touch very 
slightly on this subject, and, taking up each disease separately, 
confine myself principally to their varied effects upon the 
morbid conditions of the body, together with what I consider 
the most effectual method of treatment, under the different 
circumstances and conditions found. 

DROPSY. 

An accumulation of serous fliudin the subcutaneous or cellu¬ 
lar tissue or in any of the various cavities of the body is called 
dropsy. Dropsy is known by various other names, according 
to the portion of the body affected. When confined to the sub¬ 
cutaneous cellular tissue it is called anasarca. When confined 
to the peritoneal cavity it is called ascites or abdominal dropsy. 
When the water is found in the pericardium it is called hydro¬ 
pericardium or dropsy of the heart. When it accumulates in 
the pleural cavities it is called hydro-thorax or pleural dropsy. 
When it accumulates in the ventricles of the brain it is known as 



112 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


hydrocephalus. When the trouble is confined to any one par¬ 
ticular part of the body it is called oedema or dropsy of a part. 

While dropsy is usually spoken of as a disease, strictly 
speaking it is not such, but may more properly be said to be the 
result of a diseased condition of some part of the body, most fre¬ 
quently the kidneys; but it may be caused by various diseases,, 
such as consumption, heart trouble or diseases of the liver. Tu¬ 
mors are also a frequent cause of dropsy. 

When fluid accumulates in the cavities or subcutaneous tis¬ 
sues of the body it is the result of more water escaping from the 
blood than can be absorbed by the veins and lymphatics. The 
veins are the great absorbent vessels, but the lymphatics also ab¬ 
sorb to a greater or less extent; therefore, any obstruction to the 
venous circulation is very liable to cause dropsy in that part of 
the body from which the blood has not been properly returned. 
It sometimes happens, however, that the lymphatics are able to 
absorb all the fluid which may flow from the capillaries and re¬ 
turn it into the general circulation. If, however, from any cause 
the lymphatic vessels are not able to do the double duty thus re¬ 
quired of them, an accumulation of serous fluid takes place and 
we have oedema or dropsy of a part. 

Anasarca, or general dropsy, is caused in much the same 
manner, the disease having reached the last stage of development 
where the general circulation is seriously impeded. The absorb¬ 
ent vessels not being able to perform their functions, large quan¬ 
tities of serous matter accumulate in all parts of the body. 

Treatment. 

Having given a brief description of the cause of this disease, 
I will proceed to give directions for the proper care of the body. 

First, the embalming board is to be covered with a rubber 
blanket, taking care to roll up the sides of the blanket so as to 
form a trough or dish in order to prevent the possibility of the 
liquid being spilled on the carpet or floor; then the blanket 
brought to a point at the foot of the board, thereby forming a 
channel by which the water is to pass off into a bucket which 
should always be placed at the foot of the board to receive it. 

If dropsy of the lower limbs is present, care should always 
be taken to remove the liquid in the quickest and most effective 



Removing Water from the Pelvic Cavity. 











THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


H3 

manner possible. To accomplish this a great many different 
methods have been devised, some of which are wise and some 
otherwise. 

Some embalmers use what is known as the leecher, with 
which they perforate the skin and cellular tissue beneath, ex¬ 
pecting the liquid to pass through the perforations. This is a very 
slow method and often ineffectual, as before the desired end is 
accomplished decomposition is liable to set in and trouble ensue. 

Others use bandages made of cotton cloth, commencing at 
the extreme upper part of the thigh and bandaging downwards 
until near the knee joint, then tapping the skin with the scalpel 
or trocar allow the liquid to pass off. This is a much quicker and 
more effectual method than the preceding, but is still a slow and 
laborious process. 

Of all the methods of removing serous fluid from the limbs 
that I have ever practiced or observed, I think the following by 
far the best: Inserting your trocar just above the ankle, pass the 
instrument under the skin thereby lifting it from the tissue and 
giving the water a chance to pass out freely. It is not necessary 
to make more than one or two apertures on either side of the 
limb below the knee, as the course of the instrument can be 
easily changed and the skin raised without more mutilation. 

Having finished the work below the knee, insert the instru¬ 
ment under the skin on either side of the knee joint, passing it 
upwards and changing its course until the skin has been loosened 
from the tissue beneath; then, using the hands as shown in the 
cut, rub the limbs downward and the water will be rapidly forced 
out of the apertures made by passing the instrument. In this 
way I have often removed five or six quarts of water from the 
tissues of the limbs in a very short time. 

Should you fail to remove all or at least a sufficient quantity 
of the water in this way, a rubber bandage should be employed; 
commencing at the extreme upper part of the thigh- bandage 
downwards, taking care to make the first fold on the limb very 
tight, then making each succeeding fold a little less tight than 
the one preceding it. This will give the fluid free egress from the 
tissue. The advantage of a rubber over a cloth bandage con¬ 
sists in the fact that the elastic band exerts a continual pressure 
upon the affected parts. Every embalmer should have at least 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


114 

two of these elastic bandages, and when the fluid cannot all be 
removed by the process of rubbing place the bandages upon the 
limbs as directed and leave them there until the water has all 
been pressed out. 

If there is skin-slipping or other indication of decomposi¬ 
tion of the cellular tissue, the trocar should again be inserted 
under the skin and a quantity of formaldehyde fluid injected be¬ 
tween the skin and the tissue. This will harden and preserve the 
fatty tissues and prevent any further slipping of the cuticle. 

When the arm is affected, raise the limb and bending it 
double make an incision at the elbow joint, pass your trocar 
under the skin of both the upper and forearm, then by rubbing 
downwards most of the fluid can be forced out. 

If the hands are affected, make your incision under the skin 
of the arm at a point where the trocar will reach the hand, then 
pass it forward until you have raised the skin from the tissues of 
the hand, when the water can easily be forced out by rubbing 
without leaving any visible mutilation. 

ASCITES OR ABDOMINAL DROPSY.—When this 
■manifestation of the disorder is present, the water can best be re¬ 
moved by inserting the trocar under the skin just above the pubic 
bone (front bone of the pelvis) and passing the trocar into the 
pelvic basin. Elevate the body as highly as possible and the 
fluid will gravitate downwards and most of it accumulate in that 
cavity, from which it can readily be removed with the aspirator. 
Care should be taken to press the fluid from the lumbar region 
into the pelvic cavity, by placing the hands on the back and lower 
portion of the abdomen and pressing upwards, thus forcing the 
fluid into the pelvis. 

PLEURAL DROPSY.—When the fluid accumulates in the 
pleural cavities, which is a very frequent occurrence, it often 
causes serious trouble to the embalmer. For it is liable to occur 
when least expected, as there is seldom any outward indication of 
its presence; hence, the embalmer often does his arterial work 
and goes home, thinking the body is perfectly safe from danger 
of fermentation, returning the next day to find it in the first stage 
of decomposition. This trouble is most likely to occur in con¬ 
sumption. 

The operator should first ascertain if there is water in the 



Removing Serous Fluid from Pleural Cavities through aperture made 

for Tapping the Heart. 












. 










. 










THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


US 

pleural cavity, by passing a small hollow needle between the 
seventh and eighth ribs into the bottom of the cavity. If it is 
present it will quickly pass through the needle. Having ascer¬ 
tained that there is water there he should proceed to remove 
it. This can easily be done by passing the trocar into each of the 
pleural cavities through the same aperture made for tapping the 
heart, then attaching an aspirator and drawing out the fluid. If 
no aperture has been made for tapping the heart but one has 
been made for tapping the stomach, the instrument used for this 
purpose can easily be passed into the bottom of 'the pleural cavi¬ 
ties by piercing the diaphragm close to the seventh rib and pass¬ 
ing the trocar into the pleural sac, after which the aspirator may 
be attached and the water removed by pumping. 

HYDRO-PERICARDIUM (Dropsy of the Heart).— 
When a body has died of (or with) this disorder, having done our 
arterial work, an aspirator tube or trocar may be inserted at a 
point about two and one-half inches to the left of the sternum or 
breast bone and between the fifth and sixth ribs, passing the in¬ 
strument slightly to the right and piercing the pericardium at 
the apex of the heart. If the sac is filled with water it will be an 
easy and simple operation to attach the aspirator and remove 
the water, after which a small quantity of fluid may be injected 
into the pericardium. 

/HYDROCELE OR SCROTAL DROPSY.—When the 
fluid exudes into the serous membrane of the scrotum it is known 
as hydrocele or scrotal dropsy. Sometimes the scrotum will be 
found enlarged to nearly or quite ten times its normal size, owing 
to the large amount of water in the cavity. In many cases at 
least three pints have been found there. The water should be re¬ 
moved either by passing the trocar into the scrotum and applying 
the aspirator or by opening the sac with the scalpel and allowing 
the water to pass off. If decomposition of the parts has com¬ 
menced, a loin cloth should be placed on the body, hardening 
compound applied and the parts bandaged tightly, when no fur¬ 
ther trouble need be apprehended. 

HYDROCEPHALUS OR DROPSY OF THE BRAIN. 
—This particular form of dropsy is caused by a gradual accumu¬ 
lation of serous fluid in the ventricles of the brain, the head be¬ 
comes enlarged to a considerable extent, caused by the accumu- 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


116 

lation of water. This disease is mostly confined to infants or 
very young children, but sometimes occurs in people of mature 
years. As a rule, however, very little water will be likely to ac¬ 
cumulate in the brain or cavity of the dura mater (covering of 
the brain) of the adult, owing to the resistance of the skull, the 
sutures having become completely ossified; however, it does 
sometimes occur. Where the appearances indicate large quan¬ 
tities of waiter a trocar may be passed into and through the nos¬ 
trils, piercing the brain, and the water be allowed to escape; after 
which inject embalming fluid into the cavity, stop up the aper¬ 
tures with cotton and your work is complete. 

TYPHOID FEVER. 

Typhoid fever is a common febrile affection sometimes 
called enteric fever (belonging to or affecting the bowels). 

Of its cause or origin there is much dispute. Some authori¬ 
ties contend that the disease is often generated by filthy sur¬ 
roundings, especially in situations where human beings are 
crowded together, not having sufficient air and being obliged to 
subsist on unwholesome food. Lack of personal cleanliness has 
often been thought to be a fruitful cause of the disease. Human 
excretions and vegetable matter in a state of decomposition, foul 
water, insufficient drainage and indolent habits are believed by 
many to be productive of this disorder. 

Opposed to these theories is the fact that the disease often 
makes its appearance in the healthiest regions and among the 
cleanliest people. But the disease is probably produced by a 
specific germ taken into the body by breathing or with drinking 
water or food. 1 

The generally accepted, and I think the best grounded, 
opinion is that this disease is not contagious, but is infectious 
from the stool. 

The effect of typhoid fever on a dead body is to leave the 
bowels in a highly inflamed condition, with patches on both the 
large and small intestines very much resembling abscesses. The 
peritoneal cavity often contains serous fluid. The spleen is gen¬ 
erally enlarged, and often softened to the condition of a bloody 
pulp, through which the finger can easily be passed. The liver is 
also very liable to be softened and enlarged; and the same is true 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 117 

of the kidneys. The gall bladder is often in a highly inflamed 
condition, both the large and small intestines are usually very 
much distended with gas, and the organs of the thoracic cavity 
may be inflamed. 

Usually in this disease the blood coagulates very quickly 
after death, but in some cases has been found to be in a liquid 
state after several days. 


Treatment. 

Knowing the morbid condition of the body, it at once be¬ 
comes apparent that the embalmer should act promptly and 
quickly. 

If the body is purging, tap the stomach at once and relieve 
the gases, then proceed to do your arterial work. If the body be 
a large one, inject at least from two to three quarts of fluid into 
the arteries, after which proceed at once to draw the blood. If 
tapping the basilic vein does not yield the desired result, try the 
right auricle of the heart; for in this case it is extremely neces¬ 
sary that the blood be drawn quickly and effectually, as the gases 
in the body are very liable to force the blood to the head, 
thereby causing discoloration of the face and neck. This done, 
remove any serous fluid that may be in the peritoneal or other 
cavities of the body, then inject the abdominal cavity, and, after 
thoroughly kneading the bowels, by which means they will be 
cleansed and disinfected, you should pump out the fluid contents 
by tapping the pelvic basin. This operation is made necessary 
from the fact that the abdominal cavity will probably contain a 
large quantity of purulent matter, which, when mixed with fluid, 
weakens and adulterates it to such an extent as to destroy its 
usefulness. 

After this has been done, refill the cavity with fresh fluid, 
taking care to inject a sufficient quantity to cover all of the 
abdominal viscera. 

In all cases of typhoid fever or peritonitis it is well to pack 
the rectum and all other apertures of the body with cotton well 
saturated with a good disinfecting fluid. This will answer the 
double purpose of preventing infection, and preventing the air 
from entering the body, which greatly hastens the process of 
fermentation. 


n8 THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 

It is always well in these cases to wash the mouth, throat 
and nasal passages with a disinfectant before packing. 

PERITONITIS. 

Peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum. It is 
usually confined to the adult, but occasionally affects children. 
Acute peritonitis may arise from several different causes. Some 
are of the opinion that in many cases this disease is caused by a 
germ, which may be true; but in most cases it is probably caused 
by a strain, a blow on the abdomen or a penetrating wound. 
Continued exposure to cold is also said to be a cause of the 
trouble. A collection of pus within the peritoneal sac, an acumu- 
lation of water in the cavity, urine or any other irritating sub¬ 
stances which may from any cause be forced there, and also many 
other causes may tend to bring about the disease; but it is not 
with causes but effects that the embalmer has to contend. 

The effect of peritonitis on a dead body varies very much, 
according to the nature and cause of the trouble. In many cases 
of acute peritonitis a large quantity of serous fluid may be found 
in the cavity, being often so abundant as to distend the perito¬ 
neum to a considerable extent. This may be mere serum resem¬ 
bling dropsical fluid; though in other cases it will be found to be 
coagulable and of a greenish yellow color. In some cases the 
products are of a still lower type, being of a thick, greasy nature, 
and in many cases actually purulent, being foul smelling and 
sometimes mixed with blood. The pus usually collects in the 
pelvis, but may often be found in other parts of the abdominal 
cavity. The intestines are usually found inflamed and having 
the appearance of abscesses on them. Pus is sometimes found 
in large quantities between the coils of the intestines, and they 
are more than likely to be filled with gas. 

Treatment. 

Having an understanding of the morbid condition of a body 
dead of peritonitis, it would seem that the proper treatment of 
such a case would readily suggest itself to the embalmer. But, 
as it is one of the hardest cases to keep for an indefinite time that 
is known to the professsion, I will give full directions for treat¬ 
ment, feeling confident that if they are faithfully followed the re¬ 
sult can never fail to be satisfactory. 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


1 19 

Assuming that the body is not purging, first, raise an artery 
and inject at least two quarts of fluid, after which relieve the 
gases by puncturing the stomach, and allow them to escape 
through a tube attached to the trocar into a bottle of fluid. If 
gases have accumulated in the abdominal cavity, remove the 
trocar from the stomach and pass it beneath the abdominal walls, 
raising them and allowing the gases to pass out, assisting them 
to do so by pressing on the abdomen. s 

Do not puncture the bowels unless it is absolutely necessary, 
as it is always liable to interfere with your arterial work, besides 
causing a leakage from the bowels into the cavity, which is not 
desirable. 

Having relieved the gases, inject from three pints to two 
quarts of fluid into the abdomen. Now knead the bowels, thereby 
cleansing them of the pus and serous fluid spoken of above. Then 
draw away all the blood possible by tapping the heart, after 
which elevate the body, allowing the fluid in the abdomen to 
pass into the pelvic cavity by gravitation. Now remove the fluid 
from the pelvic basin by passing an aspirator tube into that , 
cavity ; then attach an aspirator and pump out the fluid previ¬ 
ously injected, as it has been weakened by being mixed with 
the serous fluid and pus. This done, refill the cavity with em¬ 
balming fluid, being careful to put in a sufficient quantity to 
cover all the abdominal viscera. If the weather is very warm, a 
small quantity of fluid injected into the head and lungs will in¬ 
sure success. 


ALCOHOLISM. 

In cases of chronic alcoholism the amount of fat in the 
blood is increased, and chronic congestion with catarrh of the 
stomach is one of the almost certain results, often leading to 
ulceration of that organ. The liver is sometimes greatly en¬ 
larged, but more often shrinks. The heart is often flabby and 
degenerated. Arteritis or fatty degeneration of the arteries is 
almost sure to be a result. The capillaries are congested and 
the veins varicose; the kidneys are more or less affected, usually 
causing an exudation of serous fluid into the cavities. The blood 
vessels of the brain are liable to be diseased, often causing hem¬ 
orrhage in that organ. 


120 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


Treatment. 

Alcoholism is among the hardest cases with which the em- 
foalmer has 'to contend, owing to the fact that the blood vessels 
are so liable to be in a diseased condition, making a perfect 
arterial circulation at least extremely doubtful. However, it 
should always be tried and in many cases will be found to be en- 
tirelv successful. 

The cavities should always be emptied of any serous fluid 
that may be present and afterwards filled with embalming fluid. 
The blood should always be withdrawn, either by tapping the 
right auricle of the heart or by opening the internal jugular vein. 

If discolorations appear on the face, as they are very liable 
to do in this case, use a reliable bleacher on the outside. If this 
fails to restore the color, inject the bleacher under the skin, using 
a hypodermic needle for the purpose. 

After the work is done, the body should be watched as 
closely as possible; and, if decomposition starts at any point, 
see that it is immediately arrested by hypodermic injections, 
always remembering that a very little prevention is worth a large 
amount of cure. 


GANGRENE. 

Gangrene or mortification is absolute cessation of life, es¬ 
pecially of the blood and juices and consequently of nutrition, 
also of warmth, sensation, motion and function of a part of the 
organism. If, at the same time, putrefaction and a develop¬ 
ment of foul-smelling gases occurs, it receives the name of gan¬ 
grene or sphacelus. In general, gangrene is caused by an inter¬ 
ruption of the blood supply. 

This disease manifests itself in many forms. What is known 
as dry gangrene, when the parts become black and dry, and what 
is called moist or putrefactive gangrene, are the most common. 
The first named give us no trouble, but when bodies are affected 
with the last named condition we have a very disagreeable and 
sometimes difficult case to handle. On account of the stoppage 
of the arterial circulation in the parts affected our arterial em¬ 
balming will do no good there; therefore, we should treat the 
parts direct. If the gangrenous parts are the outer portion of 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


121 


the body, such as a foot or limb, the best treatment that can be 
resorted to is to bandage the parts in hardening compound. This 
will effectually harden and deodorize the putrefying tissues and 
you will have no further trouble with them. 

This disease sometimes attacks the lungs as the result of 
local disease, consumption, pneumonia or cancer. Obstruction 
of the nutrient vessels by embolus is often a cause, as the blood 
necessary for the nourishment of the parts does not find its way 
into the tissues. I have often observed a gangrenous condition 
of the lungs in alcoholism, also in blood poisoning. It 
is sometimes confined to a very small portion of the organ, 
while ad other times a considerable portion of a whole lobe may 
be involved. The lower lobe is most likely to be affected. The 
gangrenous portion is soft and pulpy and of a bluish green color. 
The odor from a gangrenous lung is sickening In one case that 
I operated upon at Bellevue Morgue in New York City, a ter¬ 
rible odor escaped from the subject, which could hardly be ac¬ 
counted for, as the body did not appear to be in an advanced state 
of decomposition. On opening the body I found the lungs ad¬ 
hered to the walls of the thorax, and on severing the lungs from 
the walls I found a gangrenous, sloughev cavity that extended 
through the wall into the subcutaneous tissue. This gangrenous 
state of the lungs is often the cause of the odor which sometimes 
escapes from a dead body even when it has been embalmed and 
appears to be in a good state of preservation, as it often happens 
that the bronchial vessels are involved and not in a condition to 
convey the fluid to the affected part. 

If the abdominal viscera have been attacked, care should be 
taken to inject a sufficient amount of formaldehyde fluid into the 
cavity to cover the organ or organs affected. Arterial embalm¬ 
ing should always be resorted to and in all cases draw the blood. 
In handling a gangrenous body the embalmer should exercise 
much care lest he become inoculated with the poisons. 

ANEURISM. 

Aneurism is a cavity that contains blood or a sacculated 
tumor communicating with the canal of an artery, and is formed 
more or less from its walls. When death ensues from an aneu¬ 
rism, it means that all three coats of the arterv have become 


122 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


involved and ruptured. When this is the case, it is called a true 
aneurism. 

This disease is caused by a diseased state of the arteries 
known as arteritis, which will be described later. 

When called upon to embalm such a case, it will readily be 
seen that we are laboring under difficulties. If, as is most fre¬ 
quently the case, the seat of the disease is on the arch of the aorta, 
it will require some skill and considerable cutting to tie up the 
ruptured portion and prepare for an arterial injection. For that 
reason I would not advise the unskilled embalmer to attempt it, 
especially if he has not the consent of the family. Should a case 
of this kind occur, however, when it is necessary to hold the body 
for a long time, before burial, and the embalmer decides to 
attempt arterial embalming, he can do the work in the following 
way: 

Commencing at the upper portion of the breast bone, cut 
down the median line about five inches and remove the skin, fat 
and muscles from the ribs and cartilage, pushing them to one 
side. Then cut through the cartilage of the second, third and 
fourth ribs on either side of the sternum, about two inches from 
that bone; and, using a small saw, cut through the breast bone 
below the second and above the fifth rib, and remove that section 
of bone and cartilage. The pericardium will now be- exposed. 
Open this, and you will see the arch of the aorta. You will be 
likely to find the cardiac sac filled with blood and pus. Remove 
this, and tie the aorta above and below the rupture*, after which 
you can inject either through the innominate artery or the aorta. 
After injecting the body, replace the section of bone that has been 
removed and sew the cut neatly. 

I am well aware that this is a difficult operation, and, as I 
have before said, should never be attempted by one unacquainted 
with the parts affected, or by the skilled embalmer, unless strictly 
necessary. Where the aneurism is in any of the superficial 
vessels, it should always be tied, and arterial embalming done. 
Otherwise a resort to cavity work would be more advisable. 

ARTERITIS. 

Inflammation or degeneration of the arteries is called arter¬ 
itis. The embalmer should be informed that there are diseases- 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


123 


of the arteries as well as other parts of the body, which at 
times make it impossible to obtain anything approaching a 
perfect circulation. Dr. Roberts describes the beginning of this 
disease as slightly raised or pellucid patches on the lining mem¬ 
brane of the arteries, which, when examined under the micro¬ 
scope, show a multiplication of the cells of the superficial layers 
of the inner coat of the artery, thus leading to a diminution of 
their calibre to thrombosis, and in some cases to an arrest of the 
circulation. In cases of syphilis, he says, it is very liable to 
attack the vessels of the brain, thus stopping or greatly impeding 
the circulation in that organ. He cites several cases in which 
the larger arteries had become so thickened and obstructed as to 
make it impossible for the circulating fluid to pass through them. 

I have myself dissected arteries from bodies, which had be¬ 
come so obstructed that, by placing a tube in one end of the ves¬ 
sel and attaching an injector, I found the walls of the artery 
would burst before the fluid would pass the obstruction. When 
this disease attacks the visceral arteries (those vessels which 
supply the internal organs), it will be readily seen that these 
organs may be left without a supply of fluid and our embalming 
be a failure unless it is supplemented by judicious cavity work. 

EMBOLISM OF THE ARTERIES is a somewhat com¬ 
mon affection, and consists in the stoppage of a vessel, large or 
small, by a plug of fibrine or calcareous matter, which has been 
deposited there by the blood. It frequently happens that the em- 
balmer finds the flow of fluid suddenly arrested almost at the be¬ 
ginning of his work. 

When this happens, he should never get nervous or excited 
but, after satisfying himself that the trouble is not to be found 
in his injecting apparatus, should try another artery. If this 
takes place while the radial is being used, he should then take 
the brachial or, if he is not skilful in raising that vessel, the 
radial in the other arm. Should that not prove a success, he 
should then avail himself of one of the larger arteries, the femoral 
or carotid, when he will certainly obtain at least a partial circula¬ 
tion. But, after he has succeeded in injecting a pint or more of 
fluid and it ceases to flow, it is seldom of any avail for him to try 
another artery, as it is certain that he has already filled the great 
aorta (the main trunk vessel of the arterial system), and from 


124 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


that, of course, he has filled every unobstructed artery in the 
body. And it is reasonable to believe that he has a case of 
endarteritis, and that it has not only closed some of the arteries, 
but that the arterioles (connecting links between the arteries and 
capillaries) have become wholly or partially closed, thus obstruct¬ 
ing the flow of the fluid into the capillary vessels; or it may be 
that the last named vessels had become so affected by the disease 
as to preclude the possibility of their receiving the fluid. If this 
is the case, the raising of another vessel will be of no use, and he 
must then avail himself of the various expedients that are re¬ 
sorted to to preserve the body, such as cavity and needle em¬ 
balming, supplemented by hypodermic work when necessary, 
which, if properly done, will save nine cases out of ten for a 
reasonable length of time. But these expedients should never be 
substituted for arterial embalming, when that operation is 
possible. 

SYPHILIS, 

Very few people die of this disease, but many people die 
with it or having at some time suffered from it. In handling 
those cases where the disease is actually present, the embalmer 
cannot be too careful lest he becomes inoculated, as the 
virus can easily be taken into the system through an 
abrasion in the skin of the hands, or by a prick received from 
an instrument that has been used upon the body. In chronic 
cases of syphilis the arteries and capillaries are very liable to be¬ 
come constricted to such a degree as to make an arterial circu¬ 
lation in all parts of the body at least extremely doubtful. The 
cerebral vessels are most likely to be affected in this way, mak¬ 
ing it very difficult to obtain a circulation in the brain; and, as 
lesions are liable to be found in that organ when the body has 
been afflicted with this disease, it is very desirable that a circu¬ 
lation be obtained there. I would therefore recommend that, in 
all cases where there is ground for suspicion that this disease is 
present either in its acute or chronic form, the brain be injected 
by the needle process. 

ENLARGEMENT OF THE LIVER AND SPLEEN. 

1 his condition is liable to be found in cases of alcoholism, ma¬ 
laria, hepatic abscess, and many other diseases involving the liver 


THE PRACTICAL EA 1 BALMER. 


125 


and spleen. These morbid conditions in a dead body can be de¬ 
tected by the enlargement of the upper portion of the abdomen, 
when there are no appearances indicating 'the presence of gases 
in the abdominal cavity. When an abnormal enlargement is 
found, first relieve the gases if there are any; and when, after this 
has been done, the protuberance remains, it can easily be ascer¬ 
tained if it is caused by an enlarged liver or spleen by pressing 
with the hands over the regions of those organs. When satisfied 
that an enlarged liver or spleen is the cause, iit must be borne 
in mind that in these abnormal growths the capillary vessels do 
not multiply with the growth of the organ and, hence, an abnor¬ 
mally sized liver or spleen cannot be preserved by arterial work 
alone. We therefore must supplement this by reaching the or¬ 
gan or organs affected with a trocar, which can be easily done 
through the same aperture made for tapping the stomach. A 
bulb syringe should be attached to the needle and, as the en¬ 
larged organ is punctured, the fluid should be injected into it 
until the organ is well filled with the preservatives; after which 
a sufficient quantity of fluid should be injected into the abdominal 
cavity to cover both the liver and spleen. 

CONSUMPTION, 

Probably there are more failures made in embalming cases 
of consumption than of any other disease known to the profes¬ 
sion. This may be partially accounted for by the fact that more 
people die of this disease than of any other two diseases that 
afflict humanity. According to the latest investigations, about 
one-seventh of all the deaths in the United States are caused by 
consumption. A great many of the failures met with in treating 
bodies dead of this disease are traceable to the fact that the larger 
portion of embalmers do not understand the morbid condition 
of the body. 

In most cases the lungs are found adhered to' the walls of 
the thorax; the pleural cavities are very liable to be found filled 
with serous fluid; the abdominal viscera are sometimes involved, 
and the blood vessels are sometimes constricted, making it diffi¬ 
cult to force the fluid through the subcutaneous tissues. 


126 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


Treatment. 

In this case the blood should never be withdrawn, as the 
body will look much better and more lifelike if it is left in the 
vessels. 

First inject the body arterially, and then tap the pleural cavi¬ 
ties for water, which if present, must be withdrawn. If fluid is 
found in the pleurae it is very liable to be present in the abdo¬ 
minal cavity also, and should also be withdrawn. Now inject the 
lungs through the trachea; should this be found impractical, 
which may sometimes happen, inject the pleural cavities. When 
water is found in the abdominal cavity and has been withdrawn, 
fluid should be injected there also. 

Should the fluid appear a't the mouth when injected into the 
artgfies, it means that the bronchial vessels in the lungs have 
been ruptured, and the fluid is escaping into the air cells and is 
being forced into the bronchial tubes, through the trachea and 
out of the mouth. This can be remedied by packing the throat 
with cotton; should this fail to stop the flow, a circular incision 
should be made in the skin at the top of the breast bone and the 
skin raised from the lower portion of the trachea; then, using a 
large crooked surgeon’s needle with a strong string attached, 
pass it under the trachea and tie it tight; after which the injec¬ 
tion may be proceeded with. 

In cases where the body is much emaciated, the appearance 
of the face will be greatly improved by placing a small quantity 
of cotton under the cheeks. If the eyes are badly sunken, an eye 
cap had better be placed under the eyelids, or a small quantity 
of cotton can be used to advantage. 

In this disease cavity work should never be depended upon; 
but when it is, it should be done by injecting, first the head, 
then the trachea, and last the abdominal cavity; after which, the 
body should never be elevated, as the fluid in the abdominal 
cavity, needed to preserve the organs therein contained, is sure 
to gravitate into the pelvic basin, leaving the viscera uncovered. 

It sometimes happens that the skin over the walls of the 
chest turns green, and gases are found between the skin and 
the tissue. This is caused by the putrid state of the lungs, 
which are adhered to the posterior walls of the chest. When this 
occurs an injection of fluid under the skin will bleach and pre¬ 
serve the parts. 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


127 


JAUNDICE. 

It is claimed by some authorities 'that the discoloration 
in this disease is due to the excessive absorption of the bile 
by the veins and lymphatics after its formation, while others 
claim it results from suppression of its secretion and the 
consequent retention of the pigment in the blood. However 
this may be, it is certain that the skin is stained to a yellow 
color and, when this exists in life, it can hardly be expected that 
the embalmer can change the color after death. I am often 
asked, however, if there is any known remedy for this trouble, 
and must answer that I know of none that will appreciably 
change the color. It can be helped in many cases by the judi¬ 
cious use of hot vinegar. Take white wine vinegar and, after 
heating it, saturate a flannel with the liquid, lay it over the feat¬ 
ures, leaving it there until cool, then apply another. In some 
cases having the appearance of jaundice, I have found this to 
work very nicely. Some have recommended the use of a hypo¬ 
dermic needle and bleachers in these cases, but my experience 
has taught me that they are of little value. 

PNEUMONIA. 

Pneumonia has already been described as a contagious 
or infectious disease. It is now my purpose to describe 
its effects upon the morbid conditions of the body. Oedema 
of the lungs (water in the air cells) is liable to be a con¬ 
dition of this disease. The color of the lung tissue is a reddish 
brown and when cut a bloody serum often escapes. I have 
opened a great many bodies that have died of this disease and in 
no two of them were the conditions exactly alike. In some cases 
I have found the lungs filled with matter that had the appearance 
of serum mixed with blood and pus, while in other cases the tis¬ 
sues were of a bright red color and appeared to be abnormally 
dry. In many cases I have found a large quantity of serous fluid 
in the pleural cavities. 

While lecturing and demonstrating before a class in Sun- 
bury, Penn., I was explaining how to remove gases from the 
lungs and, on passing a trocar into the pleural cavity, was sur¬ 
prised to find the fluid running through my hollow needle. I 


128 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


immediately attached an aspirator and drew away five pints of 
serous fluid. This was said to be a case of typhoid pneumonia, 
but I think so large a quantity of water is seldom found in the 
pleural cavities except when the disease is complicated by in¬ 
flammation of the pleurae. 

I have always found the right chambers of the heart and the 
great veins well filled with blood which is very liable to be co¬ 
agulated. On dissecting the liver, spleen and lungs I have al¬ 
most invariably found them very much congested, thus making 
it very difficult to force the fluid through them. In some 
cases of pneumonia I have found a large amount of serous fluid 
in the abdominal cavity; whether this was a result of this dis¬ 
ease or caused by complications of other diseases, I am unable 
to say, but probably the latter conjecture is correct. 

Treatment. 

First test the pleural cavities for serous fluid, which 
may or may not be there; then remove the blood either by 
tapping the heart with a cardiac needle or through the internal 
jugular vein, as the basilic vein would seldom answer the pur¬ 
pose, it being small and the blood in this disease being' almost 
invariably thickened. The body should always be injected 
arterially; the injection should be proceeded with very slowly, as 
the small vessels are congested and often constricted and the 
fluid does not pass through them freely; therefore, if the fluid is 
injected rapidly, the larger arteries will enlarge to perhaps three 
times their natuial size, creating a pressure on the accompany¬ 
ing veins and crowding the blood in those vessels to the face, 
causing discoloration. Now inject the lungs through the trachea 
and, should much difficulty be encountered in passing the 
crooked needle, use the nasal tube; this can be successfully done 
by making a small aperture in the lower portion of the windpipe 
with the point of a scalpel and pushing the tube into it, when it 
can easily be passed through the bronchi into the lungs; then, 
if the body be elevated as highly as possible, the fluid can almost 
invariably be forced into the air cells of the lungs. However, 
it sometimes happens that the cells and bronchial tubes are filled 
with serum and there is no room for fluid; in such a case an 
effort should be made to force the serous fluid from the lungs, by 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


129 


laying the body across a chair, resting it upon the chest, and 
pressing between the shoulders, which will almost invariably 
prove successful; after which an injection through the trachea 
would be easy. 

PLEURISY. 

Pleurisy, or inflammation of the pleura may result from an 
injury, from foreign matter having gained access to the cavity, 
from extreme muscular exertion or continuous public speaking. 
But it is probably more often the result of some other disease of 
the body, such as pneumonia, typhoid or puerperal fever. The 
morbid condition of the body dead of this disease is: first, lungs 
adhered to the walls of the thorax; second, pleural cavities more 
than likely to be filled with serous fluid mixed with blood; 
third, gas is likely to be in the lungs and purging is almost 
sure to result. 

Should a large quantity of fluid be found in the right pleu¬ 
ral cavity, the heart may be found pushed to the left side of the 
body and might not be reached by inserting the cardiac needle- 
in the usual place for tapping the heart; but this seldom hap¬ 
pens, as both pleural sacs are usually filled with serum. 

Treatment. 

Draw away all the water found in the pleural cavities, inject 
the lungs, if the body be full blooded, draw the blood, and em¬ 
balm arterially. 

PUPURA. 

This disease is liable to accompany syphilis, cancer, Bright’s 
disease or sorosis of the liver. ' It is characterized by rupture of 
the capillaries and escape of blood in various parts of the body. 
Hemorrhages from mucous and sometimes from serous surfaces 
are liable to occur and also extravasations into the cellular tis¬ 
sues or into the brain and lungs. 

When death results from this disease, the blood vessels of 
the brain and lungs are liable to be found congested to such an 
extent that collateral circulation will be found impossible. Dis¬ 
colorations are certain to appear on the surface of the body and 
often on the face and hands. 


130 


THE PRACTICAL EMBAL'MER. 


T reatment. 

As the discolorations are the result of the blood which 
has escaped from the capillary vessels and become coagulated, 
it is very difficult to remove them, and if they appear on 
the unexposed parts I would not attempt to do so. When on 
the face or hands, try rubbing with a flannel that has been 
saturated with hot water; this will sometimes remove the 
blood. When this does not succeed, try the “New Century 
Bleacher,” which is manufactured from my formula by the 
Egyptian Chemical Co. of Boston. The chemicals of which this 
bleacher is composed have a peculiarly penetrating power pos¬ 
sessed by no other and, if it does not entirely remove the discol¬ 
oration, will at least greatly improve it. This should be applied 
to the face by a napkin saturated with the fluid, which should be 
kept well dampened for at least twelve hours. Should this fail to 
do the work inject the bleacher beneath the skin, using a hypo¬ 
dermic needle and bulb; this with the outward application will 
prove an effectual remedy. 

Both arterial and cavity work should be done, as in this dis¬ 
ease the chance of obtaining a collateral circulation is not good. 

ERYSIPELAS. 

Erysipelas is undoubtedly a contagious disease. Although 
this is denied by a great many physicians, and exactly what the 
nature of the poison is has not been definitely determined, I 
think the weight of evidence is in favor of its infectious or con¬ 
tagious nature. This disease is characterized by inflamma¬ 
tion of the skin; the areolar or subcutaneous tissue is often in¬ 
volved, and sometimes even the muscular tissues are affected; 
pus is often found under the cuticle or in the cellular tissue 
beneath the skin. Occasionally erysipelas terminates in gan¬ 
grene, or what is more commonly known as mortification. The 
veins are almost always found congested, causing serious dis¬ 
coloration to appear on the skin; and decomposition of the body 
is very rapid on account of the abundance of putrefactive bac¬ 
teria which are always present. In all of the cases of erysipelas 
on which I have experimented, I have found the blood dark and 
very liquid. 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


131 


Treatment. 

First draw the blood; next give as thorough an arterial 
injection as can be obtained; then inject the brain by the nasal 
process. If, as is most likely to be the case, pus has formed 
between the skin and subcutaneous tissue, or between the true 
skin and cuticle, decomposition may take place in the areolar 
tissue and progress very rapidly. This can be arrested by an 
injection of fluid between the skin and the tissues. In hot 
weather the arterial and needle work should be supplemented 
by judicious cavity work; and, if discolorations appear on the 
exposed parts, an application of the “New Century Bleacher’ 
will probably restore the natural color. Should this fail, an ap¬ 
plication of white-wine vinegar heated and applied freely will 
probably accomplish the desired result. 

SEPTICEMIA AND PYEMA. 

By these two terms, which are almost synonymous, is meant 
what is commonly called septic or blood-poisoning. There has 
long been much controversy among medical men as to the im¬ 
mediate cause of this disease, but it is now generally believed to 
be caused by a poisonous germ falling into an open wound or 
sore and being absorbed into the blood, or by the absorption of 
pus. The morbid condition of the body, after death, is conges¬ 
tion throughout the various organs and tissues, bloody pus in 
the serous cavities, and blood clots in the substance of the in¬ 
ternal organs. Abscesses are often found in the organs, con¬ 
taining pus. In all cases of blood-poisoning decomposition is 
liable to be very rapid, and the embalmer should take particular 
pains with his work, or failure may be the result. 

Treatment. 

Withdraw all the blood possible; remove all the bloody 
•serum which may be found in the serous cavities, and then in¬ 
ject with embalming fluid. Give a thorough arterial injection, 
as in these cases both the blood and tissues appear to' contain 
an immense quantity of putrefactive bacteria. If there is slip¬ 
ping of the epidermis, as there is likely to be in this disease, 
inject a strong fluid beneath the skin and use the New Century 
Bleacher on the face and hands, as discolorations are very liable 
to appear very quickly after death. 


132 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


CEREBRAL HEMORRHAGE. 

Cerebral Hemorrhage is, in the majority of cases, the re¬ 
sult of calcification or degeneration of the cerebral vessels. Xot 
infrequently the blood vessels give way suddenly, but this 
is more liable to happen if a state of conjestion is brought 
about in any way. Excitement, emotion, sudden and vigorous 
exertion, exposure to the sun, or the plugging of a blood vessel 
by a thrombus, and many other causes, may tend to bring about 
cerebral hemorrhage-. Sometimes hemorrhage into the brain 
may be the result of a vascular tumor. In these cases a post 
mortem examination will usually reveal blood in the substance 
of the brain and in the ventricles, between the skull and dura 
mater, and between the pia mater and the arachnoid membrane. 

In this, as in all diseases of the brain, arterial embalming 
should be followed by an injection into the cavity of the 
cranium by the needle process. This will have a tendency to 
drive the fluid blood in the ventricles of the brain and the 
sinuses down into the deep veins of the trunk, where it will be 
easily taken care of. If the blood has coagulated, as some¬ 
times happens, and the fluid refuses to pass through a small 
cranium needle, a large one may be substituted and greater 
pressure brought to bear on the injector. If the effort to inject 
is persisted in, it will almost always be successful. 

The morbid manifestations in these cases differ very much. 
When death is sudden it is usually the result of a spontaneous 
giving way of the cerebral vessels, in which case discolorations 
of the face are liable to result from venous congestion. When 
this is the case, the blood should be drawn immediately and while 
it is being done an injection by the nasal process given. This 
will usually relieve the congested vessels of the exposed parts 
and leave them white and natural. Following the injection in the 
head the nostrils should be packed with cotton and if the weather 
is warm a thorough cavity.injection given. 

CEREBRAL SOFTENING. 

The main causes to which the different forms of cerebral 
softening have been attributed may be summarised thus: local 
inflammation of the substance of the brain; obstruction of the 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


133 


cerebral vessels by thrombus or embolism; pressure on one of 
the larger arteries by a tumor; a diseased condition of the walls 
of the smaller arteries and capillaries, which contracts those ves¬ 
sels, obstructing the circulation and interfering with the nutrition 
of the tissues of the brain. The degree of alteration, in con¬ 
sistence of the brain, varies in different cases from a condition 
scarcely noticeable to one in which the substance of the brain 
has become little other than fluid pulp. 

In treating a case of softening of the brain, it should al¬ 
ways be remembered that the cause is more than likely to com¬ 
mence in the arteries which have become obstructed, thus mak¬ 
ing it very doubtful if a circulation can be obtained in the 
organ; and the brain substance already being in a softened con¬ 
dition, should the fluid not find its way into the capillaries, de¬ 
composition may be rapid, causing bulging of the eyes or 
pmrging from the nostrils, and in some very rare cases bloody 
matter to escape from the ears. 

In addition to arterial embalming at least a pint of fluid 
should be injected into the brain by the nasal process. The 
nosirils should then be packed with cotton to prevent the air 
from finding its way into the cavity of the cranium and hasten¬ 
ing decomposition. Should decomposition have already com¬ 
menced in the substance of the brain, before embalming has 
been done, and the head show signs of swelling, a large instru¬ 
ment may be used, such as a common eight inch trocar. When 
this is introduced, which may be done in the same manner as 
with the smaller instrument, a quantity of semi-fluid matter 
mixed with blood may escape. Let this pass out, then inject 
the preservative fluid and pack the nostrils as before directed. 


Chapter XIII. 


SPECIAL CASES. 

ELECTRIC SHOCK OR LIGHTNING. 

When death is caused very suddenly by an electric current, 
blood is very liable to be found in the arteries, as the central 
nervous system is paralyzed and the muscular contraction in the 
walls of the arteries, by which the blood is forced out, may not 
take place, hence the blood remains in those vessels. Very little 
if any rigor mortis is usually observed in these cases. If the 
body is not burned, the' treatment of these cases does not differ 
materially from that given to ordinary cases, except that the 
blood should always be removed from the arteries before inject¬ 
ing. This can be done by placing a good sized tube in the 
femoral artery and removing as much of the blood as possible 
bv aspirating; then, after removing in this way all the blood pos¬ 
sible, raising the femoral vein and, after placing a tube in that 
vessel, injecting the brachial or radial artery, whidi will cause the 
blood to flow freely from the vein. In this way the blood can 
be removed from both the arteries and veins. In these cases 
it is always well to use the nasal process, as in case of an elec¬ 
tric shock the blood may remain in the sinuses of the dura 
mater and an injection into these channels will effectually re¬ 
move it. 

SUNSTROKE. 

There is a widespread error in regard to this trouble, most 
people believing that it is caused by a rush of blood to the head 
superinduced by the heat. This is a mistake; blood does not 
rush to the head in this or in any other disease, as that is a 
physical impossibility. 



THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


135 


Sunstroke or insolation is a term applied to the effects pro¬ 
duced upon the central nervous system and through it upon cer¬ 
tain organs of the body. This trouble is more likely to occur in 
northern than in southern latitudes. This is accounted for by 
the fact that the people of (the north are a much harder working 
people, both mentally and physically, than those who* reside 
in warmer climates, and thereby reduce the strength of their ner¬ 
vous system, making them fit subjects for sunstroke; while 
the people of the south are very much inclined to take life easy 
and for that reason are seldom overcome by the heat. 

The chief changes in the body after death from heatstroke 
are anaemia of the brain and congestion of the lungs, together 
with softness of the heart and muscular tissues generally. 

I notice a greaJt many so-called experts in the art of em¬ 
balming claim that in this disease the blood is very liable to be 
found coagulated. This, however, is not true; on the contrary, 
my experience has taught me that in these cases the blood will 
be found of a dark color but very fluid and can easily be with¬ 
drawn by any of the usual methods. I am often asked to ex¬ 
plain, if what I have said is true, why these cases are so hard to 
preserve successfully. I know of only one good reason; which 
is, that it is very hot weather when we have those cases to take 
care of. We are not called upon to take care of cases of sun¬ 
stroke in January and very seldom in June; they usually happen 
in ’the two hottest months of the ear, July and August. How¬ 
ever, hot weather should never be an impediment to* success, it 
we use a good fluid and do our work well. 

Treatment. 

As death is caused by excessive *heat, the blood is 
liable to be in a condition to hasten fermentation; there¬ 
fore, withdraw it at once, after which an artery should be raised 
and the body thoroughly injected. Then make sure that the 
brain is well preserved by using the nasal process; this will force 
out any blood that may still remain in the sinuses or other ves¬ 
sels of the brain, and probably prevent any discoloration of the 
face or neck that might otherwise occur. The lungs should then 
be injected through the trachea ; and, if this is successful, the pleu¬ 
ral cavities need not be filled, as that is but little better than a 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


136 

waste of fluid. Now inject the abdominal cavity, lest the arte¬ 
ries may have failed to carry the fluid (to all of the abdominal 
viscera. This done your work will probably be successful, no 
matter how hot the weather may be. 

DROWNED CASES. 

When called upon to embalm the body of a person who has 
recently died by drowning, the embalmer should first attend to 
drawing the blood, since, as in all other cases of asphyxiation, 
the blood has probably been forced into the vessels of the face 
and neck, and the sooner the congestion (is relieved the better the 
prospect of obtaining a nice looking face. 

Having relieved the vessels of the blood, the next thing to 
be done is to remove the water from the lungs and stomach. 
This can easily be accomplished by drawing the tongue from the 
mouth as far as possible, placing the body across a chair or some 
other hard substance in a position to bring a pressure to bear on 
the breast bone, and pressing hard with the hand or knee be¬ 
tween the shoulders of the corpse, thus forcing the water from the 
air cells and bronchial tubes of the lungs through the trachea and 
out of the mouth. This operation will probably empty the stom¬ 
ach also, provided there is water in that organ, which is not al¬ 
ways the case. If, however, the water still remains in the stom¬ 
ach, first do your arterial work and then remove the water by 
aspirating. Now inject the lungs through the trachea; and, if 
water has been found there, it would be wise to inject some fluid 
into the stomach. 

CASES COMMONLY CALLED FLOATERS. 

When the body has been in the water several days or long 
enough to float on the surface, it is usually called a floater. These 
bodies are found in all stages of decomposition; and, when one 
<*f them comes into the hands of an undertaker, he usually ad¬ 
vises the friends to have it buried as quickly as possible. Gen¬ 
erally speaking, I think this is good advice; but it sometimes 
happens that there are well-to-do friends or relatives who are 
anxious to keep the body long enough to give it a Christian 
burial, or perhaps wish it shipped some distance, and are 
willing to pay well to have it put in condition to enable them 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


137 


to do so. When this is the case, the undertaker need not hesi¬ 
tate to assure the friends that, while it is impossible to restore 
the features to anything like their natural appearance, the de¬ 
composition can be arrested, the body deodorized, hardened, 
and put into condition to be taken to a church or private resi¬ 
dence for the burial service, or to be shipped to any part of the 
country, as the friends may elect. 

Treatment. 

These cases, of course, are never taken to the houses of the 
friends, but to the morgue of the undertaker, to be prepared for 
the casket. ! • ' H 

1 , 1 

After removing the clothing turn on the hose and wash 
the body thoroughly. This done, relieve the gases from 
the cavities; then, using a good deodorizing fluid, -inject 
them. Now raise and if possible inject an artery, which 
can sometimes but not always be done, 011 account of 
the gases in the tissues preventing the fluid entering 
the capillaries. Whether the last operation is a success or 
failure, the next thing to be done is to pass a trocar under the 
skin and loosen it from the tissues beneath, attach your injector, 
and inject as large a quantity of strong formaldehyde fluid be¬ 
tween the subcutaneous tissues and skin as possible. The body 
may then be left until the fluid is absorbed; and when the em- 
balmer returns he will find the swelling reduced and the odor 
much lessened. 

He should now introduce a medium sized trocar into the 
cavity of the cranium through the nasal passage, and inject as 
much fluid as possible; then cut down the median line and open 
both the abdominal and thoracic cavities, and using a hose or 
bucket wash the inside of the body thoroughly; next slit the in¬ 
testines with the scissors and relieve all the gases from those or¬ 
gans ; then sponge the interior of the body dry. The embalmer 
should now be provided with a quantity of hardening compound, 
which should be mixed with dry sawdust in about equal parts. 
1 he cavities should be well filled with this compound, the body 
sewed up tightly and wrapped in a sheet which has been satu¬ 
rated with a strong formaldehyde fluid, when it will soon become 
hard and dry. 


138 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


Another method of preserving a case of this kind would be 
to treat the interior of the bowels with formaldehyde fluid as in¬ 
structed to do in post-mortem cases. Then place the body 
in a box and mix a large quantity of hardening compound 
and sawdust and pack the body in it, leaving it in this con¬ 
dition for twenty-four hours or longer. During this time the 
body will desiccate and the water, with which it is saturated, will 
be rapidly absorbed by the sawdust, leaving the subject hard and 
dry. Bodies treated in this way can be kept for an indefinite pe¬ 
riod of time. 

MOTHER WITH CHILD IN THE WOMB. 

It has long been taught that, when embalming the body of a 
pregnant woman, it is only necessary to thoroughly inject the 
body of the mother and the fluid will find its way to the tissues of 
the unborn child. The reason given for this treatment is 'that, in¬ 
asmuch as the mother’s blood flows through and nourishes the 
foetus during the period of gestation (the time the mother carries 
the child), the embalming fluid will flow through the same vessels 
and both the mother and c'hild will be preserved 1 . This seems rea¬ 
sonable to a person who has never studied the foetal circulation; 
but to a person who is well acquainted with it this reasoning is 
utterly absurd. If the student will carefully read the foetal cir¬ 
culation given on another page, he will readily see that in life the 
mother’s blood does not flow through the vessels of the umbilical 
cord to thb child; but the blood of the foetus flows through the 
arteries that partly compose that cord to the placenta where it 
receives the oxygen and salts necessary for the nourishment 
of the child, after which pure blood is again returned through 
the umbilical vein to the foetus, and the growing child is nour¬ 
ished thereby. Thus, it will be seen that the placenta performs 
the double function of stomach and lungs for the unborn child 
during gestation. The student of the foetal circulation will read¬ 
ily notice the analogy between this and the pulmonary circula¬ 
tion, as the impure blood is brought to the placenta through the 
umbilical arteries and after being purified is returned to the 
foetus through the umbilical vein. 

It is claimed by some that the fluid finds its way from the ma¬ 
ternal blood vessels into the vessels of the child by osmosis, but 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


139 


I am persuaded that this is not true; for, while osmosis undoubt¬ 
edly takes place between the blood of the living mother and that 
of the foetus through the separating membrane, it must be borne 
in mind that this is not the substance of the mother’s blood that 
thus mingles with the blood of the fo'etus, but that when the 
mother’s blood enters the placenta through the branches of the 
internal iliac arteries, it is spread out in the minute vessels of the 
maternal side of the placenta, and the oxygen with which the ma¬ 
ternal blood is charged passes through the separating membrane 
into the blood which circulates in the foetal blood vessels; here 
the foetal blood also throws off its waste matter and becomes 
pure blood. 

Having satisfied himself that the fluid will not flow through 
the umbilical cord to the foetus, it at once becomes evident to 
the student 'that, when a case of this kind comes under his care, 
something more than arterial embalming must be done in order 
to insure success. That he may be able to perform his work in¬ 
telligently, the student must be informed that, after the first few 
months of pregnancy, the foetus in the womb is enclosed in a 
membranous sac called the amnion, which is filled with water 
called amniotic fluid. Of this liquid there may be pints or quarts 
according to the term of pregnancy. 

Treatment. 

The embalmer will now see the necessity of ridding 
the body of the amniotic fluid, after arterial work has been 
done, before proceeding to do any further work. This lie can 
do by passing a trocar into the womb, making his insertion 
just above the pubic bone (at the same point given for tapping 
the bladder) and piercing the amniotic sac; he can then attach 
his aspirator and pump away the contents. Having done this, 
the vagina should be well packed with cotton, the injector at¬ 
tached and a sufficient quantity of fluid injected into the womb 
to surround the foetus.. 

The tissues of the child and the cuticle (outer covering of 
the skin) being soft and easily permeated by the fluid, the child 
will probably be preserved for an indefinite period If, how¬ 
ever, fermentation should start up after this operation, which 
is not probable, the operator should not hesitate to pass his tro¬ 
car into the body of the foetus, relieve the gases and inject it. 


140 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


Treat these cases in this way and you will have no trouble 
in keeping them, but depend upon arterial work alone and you 
are liable at any time to find your work a failure. 

TUMORS. 

Tumors are abnormal growths which are liable to appear in # 
any part of the body. Those,, however, that are most liable to 
eive us trouble are known as ovarian tumors and are of course 

o 

found only in women. They may be classed as cystic, cellular 
and hard or fatty tumors. 

A cystic or hollow tumor is a sac containing more or less 
fluid. It should be tapped with a trocar, as much as possible of 
the contents removed, and then a quantity of embalming fluid 
injected into it. 

A cellular or mixed tumor is full of cells which are filled 
with water. These cells must be broken up by passing the tro¬ 
car into the tumor many times, after which a large part of the 
water can be removed with the aspirator. I have known a 
tumor of this kind to contain a large quantity of foul-smelling 
pus which must be removed. This can be done by injecting 
■embalming fluid into the interior of the tumor, then attaching 
the aspirator and removing the whole; after which as large a 
quantity of fluid as possible must be injected. This can best be 
accomplished by attaching a hollow needle to a bulb syringe and 
thrusting the needle into the growth and, as it is withdrawn, 
pressing the bulb and filling the aperture with the fluid. 

In all cases of ovarian tumors, ascites or peritoneal dropsy 
may be expected. Care should be taken to remove all of the 
water and inject fluid in its place. 

Hard or fatty tumors give us little or no trouble, provided 
the water has been removed from around them. However, 
should there be signs of decomposition near or over the dis¬ 
eased parts, the tumor should be thoroughly punctured and fluid 
injected, after which no further trouble need be apprehended. 

CANCERS. 

A malignant tumor or cancer is also an abnormal growth of 
a great variety. What are known as eppithelial cancers start 
in the skin, the seat usually being the lip or some other part 
of the face. When death occurs from a cancer of this nature, it 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


141 


often happens that the sore has eaten into the tissues of the face, 
leaving an unsightly scar or hole. 

The best treatment for these cases is to wash out the sore 
with a strong formaldehyde fluid or disinfectant, place harden¬ 
ing compound in the aperture and let it remain until the tissues 
are hardened and deodorized and then brush it out. After 
which mix a sufficient quantity of plaster of paris to fill the 
aperture, place this in the sore and, using a case knife or some 
other instrument having a smooth surface, smoothe the plaster 
to the level of the skin; then when hard paint it with flesh 
tints. 

In this way you will get a good looking case out of what 
had previously been a ghastly thing to look upon. This treat¬ 
ment will fill up the blood vessels that may have been eaten off 
by the cancer and enable you to obtain a good circulation by 
preventing the escape of the fluid which might otherwise take 
place. When the cancer is on the breast or any other unexposed 
part of the body no plaster of paris need be used, unless the fluid 
escapes from the sore while injecting, in which case it would be 
advisable to use it, otherwise fill the aperture with hardening 
compounds and put a bandage around the body. This will 
harden and deodorize the parts and no further treatment will be 
necessary. 

It should always be borne in mind, that if there is one cancer 
in the body there are liable to be many. I have opened bodies 
dead of cancer and have found very nearly a score of them on 
various parts of the abdominal viscera. I11 these cases collateral 
circulation in the arteries is extremely doubtful, as some of the 
vessels may be destroyed by the disease while others are very 
liable to contain small tumors which will prevent a circulation 
in that part of the body which the artery supplies. Arterial work 
should always be attempted, however, and in some cases a per¬ 
fectly satisfactory result may be obtained. On account of the 
probability of there being many cancers in the body cavity work 
should always be resorted to, and all the serous cavities be filled 
by the Dodge method of doing cavity work. 

POST-MORTEM CASES. 

Some teachers of embalming have made the claim that an 
undertaker who cannot successfully embalm a body arterially 


142 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


that has been subjected to a post-mortem examination is not 
worthy of being called an embalmer; but I am persuaded that, 
while there are many men who are capable of successfully em¬ 
balming an uncut body, there are very few who are able to tie 
up the vessels and inject the subject after a post-mortem has 
been performed. 

Anyone who has ever witnessed one of these examinations 
is well aware of the fact that the viscera are usually removed from 
the body and consequently all or nearly all of the visceral arteries 
necessarily severed, making it a very difficult matter for even the 
most skilled operator to secure and tie them. But it is not often 
necessary to do so, as a much less laborious and fully as suc¬ 
cessful method of preserving these cases can easily be devised. 

Treatment. 

When called upon to take care of a case of this kind, and 
arterial work is decided upon, assuming that the brain has 
not been removed, an easy way to perform the operation is to 
secure the innominate artery, which will be found on the right 
side of the arch of the aorta; tie the lower portion of this 
vessel securely, and place an arterial tube in it; secure and tie 
the left carotid and the left subclavian, which will be found on 
the left and upper portions of the arch, and are large and quite 
easily 'secured. Then inject the innominate artery; by so doing 
you will reach the head, the right arm and a part of the trunk of 
the body. Next, insert the arterial tube in the left subclavian 
artery and inject the left arm and a part of the trunk on the left 
side. Then, if the internal iliac arteries have not been severed, the 
abdominal aorta may be raised, just above its bifurcation into the 
iliac arteries, and a tube inserted, when both of the lower limbs 
can be injected at once. If, however, the bladder or womb has 
been removed, these vessels have necessarily been severed and 
must be tied, before the limbs can be injected from this point, 
which can be easily done. 

By proceeding in this way a large part of the body will be 
injected without the trouble of tying the numerous branches of 
the thoracic and abdominal aorta. If, however, the skull has been 
removed to admit of an examination of the brain, I would not 
advise the embalmer to attempt arterial work at all, but rather 
to treat the case by the dry process . 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


143 


Treatment by the Dry Process. 

If during - the examination the viscera have been removed, 
as is usually the case, the cavity should be sponged dry, after 
which a layer of hardening compound should be placed over 
the back walls of the cavity of the trunk of the body. Now return 
the organs to their respective places and thoroughly pack them 
in (the compound, cover with a layer of absorbent cotton to shut 
out the air, and sew up the body neatly. 

As the brain completely fills the cavity of the cranium, when 
it has been removed it is a difficult matter to replace it, together 
with ithe hardening compound necessary for its preservation; it 
had, therefore, better be placed in the abdominal or thoracic 
cavity and preserved with the organs there. The interior of the 
skull can then be filled with cotton, and the top, which has been 
removed, replaced, after which the scalp should be sewed to¬ 
gether neatly with a lock stitch. Another most excellent method 
for preserving the viscera in these cases is by the use of strong 
formaldehyde fluid. First, place the viscera in a bucket and 
cover with fluid, letting them remain there until the cavities have 
been sponged dry; then return the organs to their proper posi¬ 
tion and cover with the fluid. Now place a layer of sawdust 
over the whole, and cover with absorbent cotton, or, if this is not 
at hand, a thick paper may be used, replace the sternum or breast 
bone, and sew up the body neatly, and the work is complete. 

When arterial work is done as directed, it must be supple¬ 
mented by one of these methods to be effective. If the body is 
only to be kept for a short time before burial, either of the last 
named methods will be sufficient to preserve it without resorting 
to arterial work. 

MUTILATED CASES. 

It is not possible to give more than a hint of what should be 
done in cases of mutilated bodies, as one must -see the case before 
he can tell just how it ought to be treated. 

If a limb is cut off or so badly mutilated as to endanger the 
circulation, Ithe largest of the injured vessels should be secured 
and tied first and the body injected afterward. If the 
limb is cut off near the body secure the largest artery in the 
severed member and, placing the tube pointing toward the distal 


144 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 

s 

end, inject it. Then bandage the mutilated part in hardening- 
compound, to prevent any odor arising, which, in hot weather, 
happens very quickly. 

Should the skull be crushed, cut across the scalp and re¬ 
move it from the injured parts, raise the broken bones and inject 
into the brain a sufficient quantity of a formaldehyde fluid to 
preserve that organ. Then prepare a sufficient quantity of plas¬ 
ter of paris to fill the cavity, replace the skull in its proper posi¬ 
tion, and sew the scalp together neatly. You will then have a. 
good looking head instead of what might have remained an un¬ 
sightly mass. 

In warm weather any mutilated part will quickly emit a 
bad odor unless proper precautions are taken. Hardening com¬ 
pound is the best to use in these cases, as it will prevent any ap¬ 
pearance of putrefaction and harden the parts so that no trouble 
will be likely to ensue. 

SLIPPING OF THE EPIDERMIS. 

What is called skin-slipping is a slipping of the cuticle or 
epidermis (outer and non-vascular covering of the true skin). 
The cause of this is the putrefaction of the cellular tissue beneath 
the skin, causing decomposition to take place in the mucous- 
substance between the two layers; this causes the outer covering 
to slip off, making it very disagreeable to the embalmer. 

This trouble is very liable to occur in all cases where nothing 
but cavity work or, what I regard as very little more effective, 
some one of the needle processes has been performed; since by 
neither of these methods is the fluid driven to the subcutaneous 
tissues or to the skin, hence these parts are left without preserva¬ 
tives. This trouble is most likely to occur in cases of dropsy, 
drowning or puerperal fever, but may occur in almost any case 
or at any time. It can never occur in bodies which have been 
embalmed arterially with a formaldehyde fluid, except in a body 
which has been affected with endarteritis; in such a case, as has 
already been said, the arterioles may be closed, thus preventing 
the fluid from finding its way into the capillaries of the fatty 
tissues or skin. 

When it does occur the best, and in fact the only, remedy 
is an injection of fluid beneath the skin immediately under the 



Hypodermic Injection of Fluid between the Skin and Areolar Tissue 









- 























































































, 



























THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


145 


parts affected. For this purpose I would recommend the use of 
a formaldehyde fluid, except it be the face or other exposed parts 
of the body that is affected; in the latter case a very small quan¬ 
tity of formaldehyde mixed with a poisonous fluid should be 
used, for if it is used full strength it is very liable to cause 
an undesirable color. A four per cent, solution will usually be 
found strong enough to prevent skin slipping on the face. This 
should be applied with a hypodermic needle, per directions given 
in another part of this work. 

After careful work, a cloth may be saturated with a solution 
of the same strength and laid over the face. 

This treatment will cause the cuticle to adhere to the skin by 
arresting the decomposition and effectually hardening the parts. 

In case the trouble is on the unexposed parts of the body, a 
large trocar may be used and a full strength formaldehyde 
fluid injected. No particular care need be exercised as to the 
amount of fluid used under the skin of the body, as it will be very 
quickly absorbed in the tissues. 

SWELLING OF THE NECK. 

This phenomenon, which is liable to occur in the bodies of 
the dead, is usually caused by decomposition of the areolar or 
subcutaneous tissues, between the skin and the muscles. Though 
it usually occurs in bodies embalmed by cavity work alone, it 
may take place even after arterial embalming has been done, for 
in cases of arteritis the capillaries sometimes become constricted 
to such a degree that but little fluid can pass into them and thus 
the fatty tissues are left without preservatives. 

It has been claimed by some teachers of the art of embalm¬ 
ing, that this phenomenon, known as swelling of the neck, is 
caused by gases which generate in the pleural cavities and press 
upwards under the loose skin of the neck, thus causing the swell¬ 
ing. Although it is not impossible that this might occur, I think 
it is seldom or never the true cause. 

Treatment. 

Insert a trocar under the skin, just behind the ear, and pass 
it beneath the skin of the neck, raising it from the tissue; then, 
press out the gas and inject a sufficient quantity of fluid to pre- 


146 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


serve the areolar fat. When this is absorbed, the swelling will 
disappear and there will be no further trouble. 

In some cases the trouble has its origin in the tissues of the 
body below the neck, and the gases press upwards. When this 
is the case, the embalmer should find the source of the trouble 
and place his preservatives wherever he discovers signs of de¬ 
composition. Should the source of trouble be gases in the cavi¬ 
ties of the pleurae the trocar may be pressed downward from the 
insertion behind the ear, keeping just beneath the skin and pierc¬ 
ing the pleura from beneath the collar-bone, when the gas will 
quickly escape. But I think this will seldom be found necessary. 

CASES OF THROAT CUTTING. 

In these cases, which sometimes come under the care of 
the embalmer, care should be taken to carefully tie the carotid 
arteries, if they have been severed, also the internal jugular 
veins. Then carefully inject a small quantity of fluid into the 
head by the use of either the arterial or the needle process, and 
inject the body through one of the vessels that has been tied; 
after which, hardening compound should be placed in the wound 
to prevent decomposition of the mutilated parts and the cut 
carefully closed. 

SUDDEN DEATH BY POISONING. 

Much has been said and written on the subject of the 
preservation of bodies dead from the effects of poison, but, as 
far as my experience goes, I have noticed but little or no differ¬ 
ence between the morbid conditions of bodies that have met 
death in this way and those that have died suddenly from any 
ether cause. 

I would advise the withdrawal of the blood and a thorough 
Injection of the vascular system. Should discolorations appear 
en the face or hands, apply the “New Century Bleacher,” which 
will usually remove all forms of discoloration, except spots of 
pupura and yellow jaundice, and will greatly improve the ap¬ 
pearance even in the worst of these cases. In morphine poison¬ 
ing I have often noticed that the capillaries appear to be con¬ 
stricted, which may prevent the fluid from flowing freely into the 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 147 

areolar tissue (or fat) between the skin and muscles, and cause 
decomposition of those parts. Should this occur, an injection 
of fluid beneath the skin, over the parts affected, would be 
advisable. 


Chapter XIV. 


APPARENT AND REAL DEATH. 

By the term “apparent death” we understand a condition in 
which all manifestations of life appear to be absent and the person 
to all outward appearance has ceased to exist. These cases, while 
not nearly so common as many are led to believe, nevertheless, 
do occur, and it would be a terrible thing to contemplate that, 
through our incompetency or neglect, some fellow mortal had 
been buried alive. The causes which lead to these deceptive ap¬ 
pearances may be many. The following list of causes copied 
from Wagner may be of interest to the reader: “Apparent death 
in consequence of internal morbid states; deep syncope after ex¬ 
treme fatigue; severe spasmodic, hysterical, epileptic and eclamp¬ 
tic seizures; catalepsy and lethargy; many forms of yellow fever ; 
typhoid fever; tetanus; convulsions in children; prolonged par¬ 
oxysm or nervous asthma; a high degree of concussion of the 
brain, especially after powder explosions; wounds accompanied 
by much loss of blood; puerperal fever; lightning strokes and 
narcdtic intoxication.” 

In many places, particularly in country towns where there 
may be no physician near at hand, the undertaker is called upon 
to decide if death has actually taken place; since, sometimes, 
there seems to be good ground for doubt as to whether the 
soul has taken flight or the body is in a state of syncope or a con¬ 
dition very much resembling death without its actual presence. 
In many, perhaps I may say most cases, the cause of death gives 
no reason for doubt, but, in cases of sudden death from any cause 
other than an accident, such as heart disease, apoplexy or as¬ 
phyxia, there may be reasonable cause. In these cases the un¬ 
dertaker or more particularly the embalmer (should they not be 
one and the same person) should be sufficiently well versed to 



THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


149 


satisfy himself and his patrons on this point; since, after the 
embalming - is done, should any doubts arise, it is then too late 
to raise the question, for, however much life there might have 
been in the body before that operation was performed, there re¬ 
mains no ground for doubt as to its state after the preservatives 
have been injected into the system. 

There are many signs of death, only one of which is infalli¬ 
ble—the visible presence of decomposition. Of the more scien¬ 
tific methods of ascertaining if life has really departed such as 
the X rays or the stethoscope, I will not speak. This belongs ex¬ 
clusively to the physician. 

But there are signs and tests that it may be well for the un¬ 
dertaker to understand in order to convince himself and his pa¬ 
trons that life is extinct. 

SIGNS AND TESTS. 

Several devices may be resorted to for the purpose of de¬ 
tecting signs of respiration. 

Test No. 1 : Hold a feather in front of the nostrils and ob¬ 
serve whether it moves or not. 

Test No. 2: Holding a highly polished mirror over the 
mouth and nostrils, observe if any moisture gathers on its sur¬ 
face from the expiration of air from the lungs. 

Test No. 3: Place a small glass of water on the chest and 
observe if there is motion. 

Tie a string as tightly as possible about the forearm or 
wrist; should the parts become red or swollen above the liga¬ 
ture, it would be an excellent sign that there was still circula¬ 
tion going on in the body, as the swelling and color are caused 
by the accumulation of the blood in the vessels which are wholly 
or partly closed by the ligature, thus shutting off the blood from 
passing along in its regular course through the arteries and 
turning it into the veins and capillaries. 

If no swelling or sign of redness appears, then the natural 
supposition is that there is no circulation; this of course meaning 
that death has actually taken place. 

Hold a lighted candle to the bottoms of the feet and observe 
the effect; blisters from it are considered a sure sign of life still 
present in the body. 


150 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


A good method of testing actual death is the application of 
a mustard plaster to the skin of the body; in cases of real death 
the spot where the mustard lay does not become red as it always 
does when life is present. 

Another good method is to rub a certain part of the body 
with a dry, coarse brush or cloth until the epidermis comes off. 
If the parts do not become moist but on the contrary in a few 
hours become dry and hard, it is an almost certain sign that 
death has taken place. 

Posit-mortem discolorations, caused by the blood leaving the 
veins and gravitating to the dependent parts, are considered a 
good sign that life is extinct. 

The presence of rigor mortis is another sign, also dilatation 
of the pupils of the eyes; though none of these signs are positive. 

After all, if there is any doubt about the actual presence of 
the King of Terrors, the best thing for the embalmer to do is to 
call a physician, who is much better prepared to make the tests 
and better qualified to judge, letting him decide and take the re¬ 
sponsibility. Then, if he decides that death has taken place the 
embalming may be proceeded with. 


Chapter XV. 


TRANSPORTATION OF THE DEAD. 


RULES FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF DEAD BODIES. 

The following rules for the transportation of the dead were 
adopted by the National Baggage-Masters’ Association and en¬ 
dorsed by the National and most of the State Boards of Health. 

RULE i.—Transportation of bodies of persons dead of 
smallpox, asiatic cholera, yellow fever, typhus fever or bubonic 
plague is absolutely forbidden. 

RULE 2.—The bodies of those who have died of diph¬ 
theria, scarlet fever, scarlatina, glanders, anthrax or leprosy shall 
not be accepted for transportation unless prepared for shipment 
by being thoroughly disinfected by arterial and cavity injections 
with an approved disinfectant fluid, disinfecting and stopping of 
all orifices with absorbent cotton and washing the body with the 
disinfectant, all of which must be done by an embalmer holding 
a certificate as such, approved by the State Board of Health or 
other state health authority. 

After being disinfected as above, such body shall be en¬ 
veloped in a layer of absorbent cotton not less than one inch 
thick, completely wrapped in a sheet, bandaged, and encased in 
an air-tight zinc, tin, copper or lead lined coffin, or iron casket,, 
all joints and seams hermetically soldered, and all enclosed in a 
strong, tight wooden box. Or the body, being prepared for 
shipment by disinfecting and wrapping as above, may be placed 
in a strong coffin or casket and said coffin or casket encased in an 
air-tight zinc, copper or tin case, all joints and seams hermeti¬ 
cally soldered and all enclosed in a strong outside wooden box. 

RULE 3.—Bodies of those dead of typhoid fever, puer- 




152 


THE PRACTICAL BMBALMER. 


peral fever, erysipelas, tuberculosis and measles, or other dan¬ 
gerous communicable disease other than those specified in rules 
one and two, may be received for transportation when prepared 
for shipment by filling cavities with an approved disinfectant, 
washing the exterior of the body with the same, stopping all 
orifices with absorbent cotton, and enveloping the entire body 
with a layer of absorbent cotton not less than one inch thick, 
and all wrapped in a sheet and bandaged, and encased in an 
air-tight coffin or casket, provided that this shall apply only to 
bodies which can reach their destination within forty-eight hours 
from time of death. In all other cases such bodies shall be 
prepared for transportation in conformity with rule two; but 
when the body has been prepared for shipment by being thor¬ 
oughly disinfected by an embalmer holding a certificate as in 
rule two, the air-tight sealing may be dispensed with. 

RULE 4.—The bodies of those dead of diseases that are 
not contagious, infectious or communicable may be received for 
transportation when encased in a sound coffin or casket and en¬ 
closed in a strong outside wooden box, provided they reach their 
destination within thirty hours from time of death. If the body 
cannot reach its destination within thirty hours from time of 
death, it must be prepared for shipment by filling cavities with 
an approved disinfectant, washing the exterior of the body with 
the same, stopping all orifices with absorbent cotton and en¬ 
veloping the entire body with a layer of absorbent cotton not 
less than one inch thick, and all wrapped with a sheet and ban¬ 
daged, and encased in an air-tight coffin or casket. But, when 
the body has been prepared for shipment by being thoroughly 
disinfected by an embalmer holding a certificate as in rule two, 
the air-tight sealing may be dispensed with. 

RULE 5.—In cases of contagious, infectious or communi¬ 
cable diseases, the body must not be accompanied by persons or 
articles which have been exposed to the infection of the disease, 
unless certified by the health officers as having been properly 
disinfected; and before selling passage tickets agents shall care¬ 
fully examine the transit permit and note the name of the pas¬ 
senger in charge and of any others proposing to accompany the 
body, and see that all necessary precautions have been taken to 
prevent the spread of the disease. The transit permit in such 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


153 


cases shall specifically state who is authorized by the health 
authorities to accompany the remains. In all cases where bodies 
are forwarded under rule No. 2, notice must be sent by tele¬ 
graph to the health officer at destination, advising the date and 
train on which the body may be expected. This notice must be 
sent by, or in the name of, the health officer at the initial point, 
and is to enable the health officer at destination to take all 
necessary precautions at that point. 

RULE 6.—Every dead body must be accompanied by a per¬ 
son in charge who must be provided with a passage ticket and 
also present a first-class ticket marked “corpse” for the transporta¬ 
tion of the body, and a transit permit showing physician’s or 
coroner’s certificate, health officer’s permit for removal, under¬ 
taker’s certificate, name of deceased, date and hour of death, 
age, place of death, cause of death, and, if of a contagious, in¬ 
fectious or communicable nature, the point to which the body 
is to be shipped, and when death is caused by any of the dis¬ 
eases specified in rule number two the name of those authorized 
by the health authorities to accompany the body. The transit 
permit must be made in duplicate, and the signatures of the 
physician or coroner, health officer and undertaker must be on 
both the original and duplicate copies. The undertaker’s certifi¬ 
cate and paster of the original shall be detached from the transit 
permit and pasted on the coffin box. The physician’s certificate 
and transit permit shall be handed to the passenger in charge of 
the corpse. The whole duplicate copy shall be sent to the of¬ 
ficial in charge of the baggage department of the initial line, 
and by him to the secretary of the State or Provincial Board of 
Health of the state or province from which said shipment was 
made. 

RULE 7.—When dead bodies are shipped by express the 
whole original transit permit shall be pasted upon the outside of 
the box and the duplicate forwarded by the express agent to the 
secretary of the State or Provincial Board of Health of the state 
■or province from which said shipment was made. 

RULE 8.—Every disinterred body dead from any disease 
or cause shall be treated as infectious or dangerous to the public 
health, and shall not be accepted for transportation unless said 
removal has been approved by the state or provincial health 


154 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


authorities having jurisdiction where such body is to be disin¬ 
terred, and the consent of the health authorities of the locality 
to which the corpse is consigned has first been obtained; and all 
such disinterred remains shall be enclosed in a hermetically 
sealed zinc, tin or copper lined coffin or box. Bodies deposited 
in receiving vaults shall be treated and considered the same as 
buried bodies. 

PREPARING BODIES FOR TRANSPORTATION. 

In treating on contagious and infectious diseases I have 
already given instructions as to how a body should be prepared 
for shipment, and this, together with the rules of the National 
Baggage Masters’ Association elsewhere given, will, if observed,, 
be all the instruction necessary. 

As far as the preparation of casket and box is concerned, 
almost every funeral director has his own ideas of these matters 
and will generally practice them no matter what the opinion of 
others may be. I will observe, however, in passing, that no 
undertaker should ship a body until it has been properly em¬ 
balmed both by arterial and cavity injection, and all its apertures 
have been tightly packed with absorbent cotton. In all con¬ 
tagious and infectious diseases he should strictly comply with 
the rules of the National Baggage Masters’ Association, as 
adopted by them and endorsed by the National and State Boards 
of Health. 

When a body is shipped a letter stating what method or 
methods he has practiced in embalming the body and what 
fluids lie has used, also giving any other information which he 
thinks it necessary for the receiver to know, should always be 
sent by the shipping to the receiving undertaker. Then, should 
the body, from any cause, not be received in perfect condition, 
the receiving undertaker is prepared to act intelligently ip re¬ 
storing it to as near a normal state as possible. All undertakers 
and embalmers should be careful to exercise, charity one toward 
the other, especially as far as the condition of bodies received by 
them from a brother undertaker at a distance is concerned, as 
no one, however skilled, can always tell exactly what condition a 
body shipped by him may be found in on its arrival at its des- 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


155 


tination. He should be willing to treat the shipper as he would 
like to be treated under similar circumstances and not try to 
make reputation for himself at the expense of his fellow em- 
balmer, but should rather try to cover his mistakes if he has 
made any. 

All mistakes in embalming have a tendency to injure the 
business generally. They should be avoided as much as pos¬ 
sible, and when a mistake is made the least said about it the 
better for the profession. 


Chapter XVI. 


QUIZ COMPENDS. 


ANATOMY. 

Question : What is anatomy? 

Answer: The science of the structure of organized bodies. 

THE SKELETON. 

Q. How many bones in the adult human skeleton? 

A. Two hundred, excluding the teeth, the bones of the 
ears, and the wormian and sesamoid bones. 

0 . How are bones classed? 

A. They are classed as long, short, flat, and irregular. 

Q. What is the composition of bone? 

A. Organic or animal matter, about one-third, consisting 
of gelatine, vessels, and fat; inorganic or mineral matter, about 
two-thirds. 

Q. Are bones supplied with blood vessels? 

A. They are. 

Q. What vessels are found in bones? 

A. Arteries, veins, and some say lymphatics. 

THE MUSCLES. 

Q. What are muscles? 

A. Organs which by their contraction produce motion are 
called muscles and constitute the principle part of the flesh, ex¬ 
clusive of the fat. They are the lean meat of the body. 

Q. Into how many classes are muscles divided? 

A. Two, voluntary and involuntary. 

O. What are voluntary muscles? 

A. Those directly under the control of the will. 




THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


157 


Q. What are involuntary muscles? 

• A. Those not under the control of the will. 

Q. Name some of the involuntary muscles. 

A. The heart and the walls of the blood vessels. 

Q. Describe the structure of the muscles. 

A. The muscles consist of long, soft, fleshy fibres lying 
parallel with each other; these fibres are enveloped in a thin 
cellular membrane, fastened by it into little bundles, which are 
again tied by some of the same membrane into larger bundles, 
until the whole muscle is produced. 

Q. Why are the muscles of interest to embalmers? 

A. They are of particular interest as in many cases they 
are guides to the arteries. 

Q. What muscles serve as guides to the radial artery? 

A. The supinator longus and the flexor carpi radialis, the 
artery lying between the two. 

Q. What muscle serves as a guide to the brachial artery? 

A. The biceps muscle, the artery lying in a sheath at its 
base. 

Q. What muscle serves as a guide to the carotid artery? 

A. The sterno mastoid, the artery lying between the 
trachea and the muscle. 

Q. What muscles serve as guides to the femoral artery? 

A. The sartorus muscle on the outside, and the adductor 
longus on the inside of the thigh, the artery lying between the 
two. 


THE FASCIA. 

Q. What is the fascia? 

A. A dense, fibrous membrane, meaning a wrap or band¬ 
age. It is divided into deep and superficial fascia. 

Q. Where is the superficial fascia found? 

A. The superficial fascia is found just beneath the skin and 
covers most of the body. The superficial vessels and nerves are 
found between its layers. 

Q. Where is the deep fascia found? 

A. The deep fascia is found ensheathing the muscles, af¬ 
fording some of them attachment. It also encloses the vessels 
and nerves, binding down the whole into a shapely mass. 


158 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


THE CAVITIES AND VISCERA, 

« 

O. How many cavities in the body? 

A. Three. The cerebro spinal or cavity of the cranium, 
the thoracic and abdominal cavities. 

O. Name the minor or serous cavities. 

A. Right and left pleural and the cavity of the peri¬ 
cardium, in the thorax; the peritoneal and pelvic in the 
abdomen, and the cavity of the scrotum.*" 

Cavity of the Cranium. 

O. What is the cavitv of the cranium? 

A. The interior of the skull. 

Q. What does it contain? 

A. It contains the brain. 

Q. How heavy is the human brain? 

A. The average weight of the human brain in the male is 
from forty-eight to fifty-two ounces; the female brain is some¬ 
what lighter, averaging from forty-two to forty-seven ounces. 

Q. Into how many hemispheres is the brain divided? 

A. Two, the right and left hemispheres. 

O. What membrane covers the brain and lines the interior 

0 -w 

of the skull? 

A. The dura mater. 

Q. What great blood vessels or venous channels are found 
between the hemispheres of the brain? 

A. The superior and inferior longitudinal sinuses. 

Q. What are sinuses? 

A. They are venous channels, differing from veins in struc¬ 
ture but answering the same purpose. Those of the cranium are 
formed by the separation of the layers of the dura mater. 

Q. Name the sinuses of the dura mater, which terminate 
in the torcular Herophili. 

A. The superior longitudinal, straight, lateral and occipital 
sinuses. 

O. Name the sinuses in the base of the brain. 

0*** 

A. Circular, transverse, cavernous, and the superior and 
inferior petrosal sinuses. 

Q. What vessels empty into the sinuses? 

A. The cerebral veins. 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


159 


Q. By the junction of what sinuses are the internal jugular 
veins formed? 

A. The lateral and inferior petrosal. 

Q. Where do the cerebral veins originate? 

A. In the capillaries of the brain. 

Q. Do the cerebral veins contain valves? 

A. No. 

Q. When the cranium needle is introduced into the head 
by the Dodge nasal process what sinuses are reached? 

A. The superior or inferior longitudinal sinuses. 

Q. When one of these sinuses is injected does the fluid 
flow through all the sinuses of the dura mater? 

A. It does. 

Q. How is this accomplished? 

A. By the junction of the sinuses in the torcular Herophili 
(wine-press). 

Q. When the sinuses are injected where does the fluid 
flow? 

A. Through the cerebral veins into the capillaries of the 
brain, thereby saturating that organ with fluid. 

Q. If the injection is continued after this where does the 
fluid flow? 

A. From the lateral and inferior petrosal sinuses into the 
internal jugular veins and to the spinal canal. 

Q. When the fluid is forced through the internal jugular 
veins, where does it go? 

A. Into the innominate veins, thence to the superior vena 
cava and into the right auricle of the heart. 

Q. When forced from the right auricle of the heart through 
what vessels does it flow? 

A. Through the inferior vena cava to the iliac veins and as 
far downward as the valves in the veins of the lower limbs will 
allow. 

Q. Are there any other vessels through which this fluid 
can pass? 

A. Yes, it may pass through the portal system, as the veins 
composing it have no valves, and find its way into the liver, 
spleen and the walls of the stomach and intestines, also through 
the renal veins into the kidneys. 


i6o 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


Q. Are the arteries ever injected by any of the so-called 
needle processes of embalming? 

A. It is possible that a small quantity of the fluid might 
find its way through the pulmonary circulation and into the 
aorta, but it is highly improbable and should never be depended 
on as an exclusive means of embalming the body. 

The Thoracic Cavity. 

Q. Describe the thoracic cavity. 

A. It is a bony, cartilaginous cage. Its back or posterior 
portion is formed by the dorsal portion of the backbone and the 
ribs; the sides by the ribs, and the front by the breast bone and 
cartilage. Its shape is conical, more narrow above than below, 
and it is separated from the abdominal cavity by the diaphragm. 

Q. What organs are contained in the thoracic cavity? 

A. The heart and lungs. 

Q. Where is the top or apex of each lung found? 

A. Just under and sometimes a little above the collar bone. 

Q. Where is the bottom of each lung found? 

A. Near the eighth rib. 

Q. What is the average weight of the lungs in the adult? 

A. About two and three-fourths pounds. 

Q. What membrane lines the inside walls of the thorax and 
covers the lungs? 

A. The pleura. 

Q. Describe the material of which the lungs are composed. 

A. They are composed of light, spongy, elastic tissue. The 
lungs are permeated with air cells, which are separated from each 
other by thin septa, and vary in diameter from one two-hun- 
dreths to one-seventieth of an inch. 

Q. What is the trachea? 

A. A cartilaginous tube about four and one-half inches 
long and very nearly one inch in diameter. It bifurcates or di¬ 
vides into the right and left bronchus, which enter the lungs, 
where they divide and subdivide into the bronchial tubes, which 
end in the air cells of the lungs. 

Q. How would you inject the lungs, provided you had rea¬ 
son to believe that the bronchial arteries had not carried your 
fluid to those organs? 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


161 


A. I would insert my lung trocar into the lower portion of 
the trachea or windpipe, and after elevating the body inject the 
fluid through the trachea and bronchial tubes into the lungs. 

Q. Into how many separate serous cavities is the thoracic 
cavity divided? 

A. Three. 

Q. What are they called? 

A. The right and left pleural cavities and the cavity of the 
pericardium. 

Q. Why are the pleural cavities so called? 

A. Because they are formed by the pleurae. 

Q. What is the cavity of the pericardium? 

A. The sac which encloses the heart. 

Q. What is the space between the right and left pleura, m 
which the heart and pericardium are found, called? 

A. The mediastinum. 

Q. In what diseases is serous fluid or water most likely to- 
be found in the pleural cavities? 

A. In inflammation of the pleura from whatever cause—it. 
is moist likely to be found there in consumption and pneumonia. 

Q. In what disease is the serous fluid most likely to be 
found in the cavity of the pericardium? 

A. In pericarditis^or inflammation of the pericardium.. 

Q. Describe the heart, giving size, weight, etc. 

A. The heart is a hollow muscular organ, in shape an in¬ 
verted cone. It is placed obliquely in the chest between the 
lungs, with its base very nearly on a line with the lower border of 
the third intercostal cartilage or rib, its apex about two and one- 
half inches to the left of the sternum between the fifth and sixth 
ribs. It is five inches long, three and one-half inches wide, two 
and one-half inches thick, and weighs from nine and one-half to 
twelve ounces. It has often been described as about the size of 
the fist, but this is erroneous. 

Q. How many cavities or chambers are found in the heart?- 
Four. 

Name them. 

The right and left auricle, and the right and left ven- 


A. 

Q- 

A. 

tricle. 

Q. 


What is the capacity of the cavities of the heart? 


THE PRACTICAL BMBALMER. 


162 

A. About six fluid ounces. 

O. How much blood can be withdrawn from the heart of 
the average adult body? 

A. If the blood is in a liquid state we can get from one to 
three quarts, in rare cases even more. 

Q. If all the cavities of the heart contain only about six 
ounces how can you withdraw this quantity from the right 
auricle? 

A. The 'two great veins of the body, called the superior and 
inferior vena cava, are attached to and empty their contents into 
the right auricle. All the other veins of the body, except the pul¬ 
monary and cardiac veins, are tributary to the venae cavae. The 
cardiac veins empty directly into the right auricle of the heart, 
therefore when that cavity is tapped blood is being drawn from 
.all the veins of the body, except the pulmonary veins, which are 
usually empty after death. 

Q. Where does the blood go after death? 

A. As a rule the blood leaves the arteries, capillaries and 
superficial veins and flows into the deep veins. 

Q. How is the heart divided? 

A. Into two sides, the right and the left, or the arterial and 
venous sides. 

Q. How are they separated? 

A. By muscular tissue called the septum. 

O. Which is the venous side of the heart? 

A. The right side. 

Q. What great vessels convey venous blood to the right 
auricle of the heart? 

A. The superior and inferior venae cavae. 

Q. What great vessels convey venous blood from the right 
ventricle of the heart to the lungs for purification? 

A. The pulmonary arteries. 

Q. What vessels return the pure blood from the lungs to 
Hie left auricle of the heart? 

A. The pulmonary veins. 

Q. What great vessel rises from the left ventricle of the 
lieart? 

A. The great aorta. 

O. What valves are situated between the right auricle and 
right ventricle of the heart? 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


163 


A. The tricuspid valves. 

Q. What valves are situated at the entrance to the pul¬ 
monary arteries? 

A. The semilunar valves. 

Q. What valves are situated between the left auricle and 
left ventricle of the heart? 

A. Bicuspid valves. 

Q. Through what valves does the blood pass from the left 
ventricle of the heart into the great aorta? 

A. The semilunar valves. 

Q. Why are the semilunar valves so called? 

A. Semi—one-half, lunar—the moon, because they are in 
the shape of a half moon. 

Q. Why are the tricuspid valves so called? 

A. Because they consist of three cusps or points. 

Q. Why are the bicuspid or mitral valves so called? 

A. Because they have two cusps and are in the shape of a 
mitre. 

The Abdominal Cavity* 

Q. Describe the abdominal cavity. 

A. It is oval shaped, bounded above by the diaphragm and 
below by the pelvis. Its internal walls are invested by the peri¬ 
toneum, which also invests most of the viscera. It contains the 
liver, spleen, kidneys, pancreas, the gall bladder, stomach and 
the large and small intestines. 

Q. Into how many regions is the abdominal cavity divided? 

A. It is divided into nine regions by two horizontal lines,— 
one between the cartilages of the ninth ribs, another between the 
crests of the ilia—and two vertical lines from the cartilages of the 
eighth ribs to the centre of Poupart's ligament, as shown in the 
cut. 

Q. Name the different regions. 

A. 

Right Hypochondriac. Epigastric. 

Right Lumbar. LTmbilical. 

Right Inguinal. Hypogastric. 

Q. Describe the liver. 

A. It is the largest gland in the body, weighing from four 


Left Hypochondriac. 
Left Lumbar. 

Left Inguinal. 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


164 

to four and one-half pounds. I't is about twelve inches in length, 
six in width, and about three in thickness and is situated on the 
right side of the body, just below the diaphragm. "W hile the nor¬ 
mal weight of the liver is about four pounds it is liable to en¬ 
large, having been known to weigh twenty pounds. It has five 
lobes and five sets of vessels and is invested by the peritoneum. 

Q. What are the vessels of the liver called? 

A. The hepatic vessels. 

Q. Name them. 

A. The portal vein, hepatic artery, hepatic veins, hepatic 
duct, and lymphatics. 

Q. How is the portal vein formed? 

A. By the superior and inferior mesenteric, splenic and 
gastric veins. 

Q. Describe the spleen. 

A. The spleen is a small organ situated on the left side of 
the body, below the stomach and above the left kidney. It is 
soft, spongy and very vascular. Its normal weight is about eight 
ounces, but it is liable to enlargement and may under the influ¬ 
ence of certain diseases be found to weigh twenty pounds. 

Q. Describe the kidneys. 

A. The kidneys are situated one on either side of the back 
bone, behind the peritoneum. They are four inches in length, 
two in width and one in thickness and weigh from five to six 
ounces each. 

Q. Describe the pancreas. 

A. It is a gland about seven inches long, situated behind 
the stomach. 


The Peritoneum. 

Q. Describe the peritoneum. 

A. It is a serous membrane, forming a closed sac, one layer 
called the parietal, lining the walls of -the abdomen, the other, 
called the visceral layer, being reflected more or less completely 
over all the organs contained in (the abdominal and pelvic cavities. 

Q. Is the peritoneum always a closed sac? 

A. It is always closed in the male, but in -the female the 
Fallopian tubes open into its cavity. 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


165 


Q. How is the peritoneum divided? 

A. It is divided into the greater and lesser peritoneal cavity. 

Q. What is the meaning of peritonitis? 

A. Inflammation of the peritoneum. 

The Pelvic Cavity; 

Q. Describe the pelvic cavity. 

A. It is formed behind by the sacrum and coccyx, on the 
sides and front by the junction of the pelvic bones and the ab¬ 
dominal muscles. It is sometimes called the pelvic basin from 
its resemblance to a dish. 

Q. What organs are contained in the pelvic cavity? 

A. The bladder and rectum in the male, the bladder, womb 
and rectum in the female. 

Q. Describe the bladder. 

A. It is a small sac attached to the inside of the pubic bone. 
Its normal capacity is about one pint, but it has been known to 
contain as much as twelve pints. 

Q. Should the water always be drawn from the bladder? 

A. Yes. 

Q. How can this best be done? 

A. By inserting an aspirator tube at a point just above the 
pubic bone. 

Q. Describe the uterus or womb. 

A. It is a pear-shaped, muscular organ about three inches 
long, two inches wide and one inch thick. In its virgin state the 
weight of the womb is about two and one-half to three ounces. 
After childbirth it will weigh from one and one-half to two and 
one-half pounds. 

The Alimentary Canal. 

Q. Of what does the alimentary canal consist? 

A. The alimentary canal consists of the mouth, pharynx, 
oesophagus, stomach, and large and small intestines. 

Q. Describe the oesophagus. 

A. It is a membranous muscular tube, about nine inches 
long, commencing ait the pharynx and passing through the dia¬ 
phragm to the stomach. It lies in the neck immediately behind 
the trachea. 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


166 


Q. Describe the stomach. 

A. The stomach is the principal organ of digestion. It is 
about twelve inches long by four inches in average diameter, but 
varies in size and capacity, holding from one to'three quarts. 

Q. At what point would you insert the trocar for the pur¬ 
pose of relieving gases ov removing water, or other fluids from 
the stomach? 

A. I would measure downward one and one-fourth inches 
from the ensiform appendix (point of the breast bone), then to 
the left until I come in contact with the short ribs and make the 
insertion there. 

Q. Describe the small intestine. 

A. It is a convoluted, tubular organ, about twenty feet in 
length and divided into three parts: the duodenum, about twelve 
inches long; the jejunum, about seven and one-half feet long, and 
the ilium, which comprises the remainder of the small intestine. 

O. Describe the large intestine. 

A. It is about five feet long and is divided into six parts: 
the caecum, which is the connecting link between the large and 
small intestines; the ascending, transverse and descending colon; 
the sigmoid flexure, and the rectum. 

Q. What is the gall bladder? 

A. It is a pear-shaped bag three to four inches long, an 
inch in its greatest diameter, holding from one to one and one- 
half fluid ounces, and is a reservoir for the bile. 

THE VASCULAR SYSTEM. 

Q. What is the vascular system? 

A. The vascular system consists of the heart, arteries, capil¬ 
laries, veins, and lymphatics. 

Q. What is the function of the heart? 

A. To drive the blood through the circulatory system by 
the contraction and expansion of its muscular walls. 

0. What are arteries? 

A. Tubular vessels which serve to convey the blood from 
both ventricles of the heart through all parts of the body or to 
the capillaries. 

Q. How are the arteries divided? 

A. Into the pulmonary and systemic arteries. 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


167 


Q. What are the pulmonary arteries? 

A. Those vessels which originate in the right ventricle of 
the heart and convey the venous blood from that chamber to the 
lungs for purification. 

Q. What are the systemic arteries? 

A. The great aorta and its branches. 

Q. Where does the great aorta originate? 

A. In the left ventricle of the heart. 

Q. How is the aorta divided? 

A. It is divided into' the arch, the thoracic aorta, and the 
abdominal aorta; and the arch is subdivided into the ascending, 
transverse, and descending portions. 

Q. How many coats have arteries? 

A. Three: an internal or serous; a middle, which is com¬ 
posed of muscular and elastic tissue; and an external, of connec¬ 
tive tissue. The last named is the only coat which is vascular. 

Q. Describe the innominate artery. 

A. It arises from the right side of the arch of the aorta and 
passes upward about one and one-half inches to the junction of 
the sternum and clavicle, where it divides into the right common 
carotid and the right subclavian arteries. 

Q. Describe the common carotid arteries. 

A. The right common carotid arises at the termination of 
the innominate artery and passes upward between the trachea 
and the sterno mastoid muscle until just opposite the epiglotis 
(Adam’s apple), where it divides into the internal and external 
carotid arteries. The left common carotid arises from the centre 
of the arch of the aorta and passes upward, dividing at the same 
place and into the same branches as the right. 

Q. What parts are supplied by the external carotid arteries 
and their branches? 

A. The face, scalp and back of the neck. 

Q. What arteries supply the brain? 

A. The internal carotid and vertebral with their branches. 

Q. How many branches have the external and internal 
carotid arteries? 

A. They each have eight branches. 

Q. What is the circle of Willis? 

A. An anastomosis at the base of the brain, between the 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


168 

branches of the internal carotid and vertebral arteries, to equalize 
the cerebral circulation. 

Q. Locate the subclavian artery. 

A. It rises on the right side from the innominate artery, 
and on the left from the highest point of the arch of the aorta, 
passes under the collar bone to the border of the first rib, where 
dt becomes the axillary artery. 

Q. Locate the axillary artery. 

A. It commences at the termination of the subclavian and 
terminates at the lower margin of the armpit muscles, where it 
becomes the brachial artery. 

Q. Where is the brachial artery found? 

A. It is a continuation of the axilliary, commences at the 
termination of that vessel and extends along the base of the 
biceps muscle to a point about one-half inch below the bend of 
the elbow, where it divides into the radial and ulnar arteries. 

Q. Describe the radial artery. 

A. It is the smaller of the divisions of the brachial, com¬ 
mences at the termination of that vessel and runs between the 
two muscles on the thumb side of the hand to the deep palmar 
arch. In the lower portion of the arm it is very superficial and 
easily secured. 

Q. Describe the ulnar artery. 

A. It is the larger of the divisions of the brachial, and ex¬ 
tends from the bifurcation of that vessel to the superficial palmar 
arch. It lies deep in the greater part of its course and is seldom 
used by embalmers. 

Q. Describe the palmar arches. 

A. The superficial and deep palmar arches lie in the palm 
of the hand and are formed by an anastomosis of the divisions of 
the radial and ulnar arteries. 

Q. What is the great aorta? 

A. It is the great trunk artery of the body. 

Q. Name the branches arising from the arch of the aorta. 

A. The innominate, the left common carotid, the left sub¬ 
clavian and the coronary arteries. 

O. Which of these vessels supply the heart? 

A. The coronary arteries. 

O. What do you mean by the thoracic aorta? 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


169 


A. All that part of the vessel below the arch and above the 
diaphragm. 

Q. Which are the most important branches of this division 
to the embalmer? 

A. The bronchial arteries, because they convey the fluid to 
the lungs. 

Q. Describe the abdominal aorta. 

A. It is a cont-fhuation of the thoracic aorta, commences at 
the diaphragm and extends along the left side of the spinal col¬ 
umn to a point opposite the fourth lumbar vertebrae, where it 
divides into the right and left iliac arteries. 

Q. Describe the coeliac axis. 

A. It is a short thick vessel about one-half inch in length, 
arises from the front of the aorta, just below the diaphragm, and 
divides into the hepatic, gastric, and splenic arteries. 

Q. Which of these branches supply the liver? 

A. The hepatic. 

Q. Which supplies the spleen? 

A. The splenic. 

Q. Which supplies the 'stomach? 

A. The gastric. 

Q. What artery arises just below the coeliac axis? 

A. The superior mesenteric. 

Q. What organs does it supply? 

A. Most of the small intestines, the caecum, the ascending 
and transverse colon. 

Q. What arteries 'supply the rest of the large intestines? 

A. The inferior mesenteric. 

Q. What arteries supply the kidneys? 

A. The renal arteries. 

Q. Where do they arise? 

A. One from either side of the aorta, opposite the origin 
of the superior mesenteric artery. 

Q. Describe the common iliac arteries. 

A. They are the divisions of the great aorta, arise at the 
termination of that vessel and extend downward about two 
inches, where they each divide into the external and internal iliac. 

Q. What are the principal parts of the body that are sup¬ 
plied by the internal iliac artery and its branches. 


170 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


A. The bladder and the generative organs. 

Q. Describe the external iliac artery. 

A. It is a continuation of the common iliac and extends 
from the termination of that vessel to the centre of Poupart’s lig¬ 
ament, where it becomes the femoral artery. 

Q. Describe the femoral artery. 

A. The femoral artery may be found lying in the centre of 
Scarpa’s triangle. It commences at Poupart’s ligament and 
passes downward to the popliteal space, where it becomes the 
popliteal artery. It lies in a strong, fibrous sheath with the 
femoral vein, but divided from the latter by a membranous parti¬ 
tion. 

Q. Describe the popliteal artery. 

A. It is a continuation of the femoral, commences at the 
termination of that vessel and passes downward and behind tPe 
knee-joint, where it divides into the anterior and posterior tibia! 
arteries. 

Q. Describe the anterior tibial artery. 

A. It extends from the bifurcation of the popliteal to the 
front of the ankle-joint, where it becomes the dorsalis pedis 
artery. 

Q. Describe the posterior tibial artery. 

A. It is a large vessel which commences at the bifurcation 
of the popliteal artery and extends along the back of the tibia to 
the inner ankle-joint, where it divides into the internal and ex¬ 
ternal plantar arteries. 

Q. Where are the plantar arteries found? 

A. In the foot. 

Q. Where is the plantar arch? 

A. In the hollow of the foot. 

Q. Where do arteries originate? 

A. At the ventricles of the heart. 

Q. What are capillaries? 

A. Minute blood vessels which form a fine network be¬ 
tween the terminating arteries and the commencing veins. They 
have only one coat and are less than one threerthousandths of 
an inch in diameter. They derive their name from the word, 
“cappillus,” a hair. 

O. What are veins? 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


171 


A. They are tubular vessels, which receive the blood from 
the capillaries and return it to the heart. 

Q. How many coats have veins? 

A. Like arteries, they have three coats: an external, 
fibrous; a middle, muscular; and an internal, serous. 

Q. What kind of blood do veins carry? 

A. With the exception of the pulmonary veins, they all 
carry venous or carbonized blood. 

Q. How are veins divided? 

A. Into the pulmonary, systemic, and portal systems, the 
latter being an appendage of the systemic; also into the super¬ 
ficial and deep veins and the sinuses. 

Q. How do the pulmonary differ from the systemic veins? 

A. The pulmonary veins carry oxygenated, or pure blood, 
from the lungs to the left side of the heart; all other veins carry 
Impure blood. 

Q. Describe the portal system. 

A. The gastric, splenic, and mesenteric veins form what is 
known as the portal system; they collect the blood from the 
digestive organs and by their union form the portal vein, which 
enters the liver and ramifies throughout that organ. 

Q. Describe the veins of the lower extremity. 

A. They are in two sets, superficial and deep. The deep 
veins accompany the anterior and posterior tibial arteries and are 
known by the same name as those vessels; they collect the blood 
from the deep parts of the foot and unite in the popliteal vein, 
which afterward becomes the femoral, and it the external iliac, in 
the same manner as the arteries. 

Q. What veins unite to form the inferior vena cava? 

A. The common iliac veins. 

O. What veins have no valves? 

A. The venae cavae, hepatic, portal, renal, pulmonary, cere¬ 
bral, uterine, ovarian and spinal; also some of the smaller veins. 

Q. Where are the most valves found? 

A. In the veins of the lower limbs, where there is most 
muscular pressure and the blood flows directly upward. 

Q. What is the use of valves? 

A. To prevent the blood from regurgitating or returning. 

Q. Describe the inferior vena cava. 


172 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


A. It extends from the junction of the two iliac veins, 
passing along the front of the spine, pierces the diaphragm and 
terminates in the right auricle of the heart. It receives the blood 
from all the veins below the diaphragm. 

Q. Describe the internal or long saphenous vein 

A. It is the longest and largest of the superficial veins, 
commencing at the inner side of the foot, passes upward on the 
inside of the leg and thigh and enters the femoral vein about one 
and one-half inches below Poupart’s ligament. This vessel is 
sometimes mistaken for the femoral artery and injected with dis¬ 
astrous results. 

Q. Describe the veins of the upper extremities. 

A. They are in two sets, superficial and deep. The super¬ 
ficial veins are found between the superficial fascia and the skin. 
The deep veins accompany the arteries and are usually found in 
the same sheath with those vessels; when accompanying the 
smaller arteries, there are two, one on either side, and are usuallv 
called venae comites, or accompanying veins. 

O. Which of the veins of the arm is used to draw blood? 

A. The basilic vein, which is found lying on the inner bor¬ 
der of the triceps muscles. 

Q. Describe the axillary vein. 

A. It is formed by the junction of the basilic vein with 
on*': 1 of the venae comites of the brachial artery; it accompanies 
the axillary artery to its termination at the outer margin of the 
first rib, where it becomes the subclavian vein. 

O. Describe the subclavian vein. 

A. It is a continuation of the axillary and extends from 
the termination of that vessel to the junction of the clavicle and 
breast bone, where it joins with the internal jugular to form the 
innominate vein. 

Q. Describe the innominate veins. 

A. The two innominate veins are each formed by the union 
of the subclavian and the internal jugular, and unite just below 
the first costal cartilage to form the superior vena cava. The 
right innominate is about one and one-half, and the left very 
nearly three, inches long. 

Q. Describe the superior vena cava. 

A. It is a short trunk vein about two and one-half or three 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


173 


inches long, formed by the junction of the innominate veins; com¬ 
mences at the second costal cartilage and terminates at the right 
auricle of the heart, and receives all the blood from that part^of 
the body above the diaphragm. 

Q. What are lymphatics? 

A. Delicate transparent vessels found in nearly all parts of 
the body. They convey lymph or water from the outer portions 
of the body to the lymphatic ducts, which empty into the blood 
at the subclavian vein. They receive their name from the word, 
“lympha” (water). 

Q. What are the lacteals? 

A. The absorbent vessels of the small intestines, which 
carry the chyle into the blood. 

Q. What are the lymphatic glands? 

A. Small solid bodies placed in the course of the absorbent 
vessels. 

Q. What is the thoracic duct? 

A. It is the main channel for the lymph and chyle from the 
whole body except the right arm and lung, right side of the head, 
heart, neck, thorax, and a part of the liver, and terminates in 
the left subclavian vein. 

Q. What is the right lymphatic duct? 

A. It is a very short vessel, only about one inch in length, 
terminating in the right subclavian vein and draining all those 
parts not connected with the thoracic duct. 

THE BLOOD. 

Q. Give the composition of the blood in 1000 parts. 

A. Water, 795 parts. 

Globules, 150 parts. 

Albumen, 40 parts. 

Fibrin, 2 parts. 

Other animal matter, 5 parts. 

Mineral substances, 8 parts. 

O. What are globules? 

A. Blood globules or corpuscles are very minute plates or 
discs that may be seen in the blood when examined by the mi¬ 
croscope. They are about one three-thousandth part of an inch 
in diameter and one six-thousandth part of an inch thick. Tfie 


174 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


greater part of the corpuscles are red, but some are pink, while 
others are white. 

Q. What causes the blood to coagulate? 

A. That constituent of the blood called “fibrin”; extremes 
of heat or cold. 

Q. What part of the human body is the blood? 

A. Authorities differ, giving it as one-eighth to one-thir¬ 
teenth of the weight of the whole body. 

Q. How many kinds of blood are found in the body? 

A. Two; that portion circulating in the veins is dark blue 
in color and is called poisonous or carbonized blood, while that 
part flowing in the arteries is bright red and is called oxygenated 
or arterial blood. These two kinds of blood follow each other 
in the circulation and change from arterial to venous blood while 
passing through the capillaries, and from venous to arterial while 
passing through the lungs, where it throws off its carbon and 
receives oxygen, this process being known as purification of the 
blood. 

Q. Is it necessary to draw blood in order to insure success 
in embalming? 

A. It is only necessary in certain cases. It is well to draw 
blood from bodies that have died in full strength and in blood 
poisoning cases, such as puerperal fever, septicemia and pyemia; 
but in emaciated cases it should never be done except there are 
discolorations caused by blood in the vessels of the face and 
neck, in which case it should always be resorted to. 

Q. How many methods of drawing blood are used? 

A. Two; tapping a vein, or inserting a cardiac needle in 
the right auricle of the heart and attaching an aspirator. 

O. What veins are used for drawing blood? 

A. The basilic, internal jugular, and femoral. 

Q. Describe the basilic vein. 

A. It is formed by the junction of the ulnar and median 
basilic and is found lying on the inner border of the triceps mus¬ 
cle, very close to the brachial artery. It should be raised in the 
extreme upper third of the triceps muscle, near the axillary space, 
where it is large and very superficial. 

Q. How can the internal jugular vein be secured? 

A. By making a transverse incision along the collar bone, 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


175 


commencing at the junction of the sternum and clavicle and ex¬ 
tending outwards about two and one-half inches; then, by sever¬ 
ing the sterno mastoid muscle from its attachment to the breast 
bone and raising the skin and tissues, the vein will be found lying 
just outside of the carotid artery. As this vein is large and leads 
directly to the left auricle of the heart, it affords a most effi¬ 
cient means of drawing blood, while at the same time the carotid 
artery can be used for injecting the body. The only objection 
that can be urged against the use of this vessel is the mutilation 
necessarily made in raising it (see cut). 

Q. What advantages are offered by the femoral vein for 
removing blood? 

A. The femoral vein is large and affords superior advan¬ 
tages on this account, but is open to the same objection as the 
internal jugular, that of much mutilation, together with the lia¬ 
bility to blood spilling. Unless the operator is very skillful I 
would not advise the use of this vessel. It can be raised by fol¬ 
lowing the same guides given for raising the femoral artery, as it 
is found in the same sheath with that vessel, separated only by a 
thin membrane. 

Q. Is the circulation broken by tapping the right auricle 
of the heart? 

A. Yes, as all veins terminate at the right auricle of the 
heart, when the fluid has passed through the arteries, capillaries 
and veins, it will enter the right auricle and if there is an aper¬ 
ture in that chamber it will pass out of it I do not consider this 
a serious objection, however, as if the body is injected very slowly 
by far the greater portion of the fluid will remain in the capillaries 
or be absorbed in the tissues as it passes through the vessels and 
but little will escape from the heart. 

Q. Where should the aperture be made for tapping the 
heart? 

A. On the right side of the body in the third or fourth in¬ 
tercostal space, keeping close to the breast bone and the fourth 
intercostal cartilage. 

Q. At what angle should the trocar be held? 

A. Almost perpendicularly, but with a slight angle to the 
right. 

Q. How far should the instrument be inserted? 


176 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


A. About three inches, but it will do no harm even if the 
trocar is passed clear through the auricle of the heart. 

Q. How much blood can be withdrawn by this method? 

A. From one pint to three quarts, in very rare cases even 
more. 

Q. What part of the blood is fibrin? 

A. Two thousandths. 

DISCOLORATIONS. 

Q. What causes discolorations? 

A. Blood in the superficial vessels, sometimes forced there 
by gases and sometimes by too rapid injection of the vessels. 
Discolorations are sometimes caused by an affection called 
pupura and by various other diseases, such as jaundice, alcohol¬ 
ism, etc. There are also certain chemical changes, which take 
place in the tissues of dead bodies, which cannot always be ac¬ 
counted for. 

Q. How would you remove these discolorations? 

A. By drawing blood, bathing the face downwards with 
hot or very cold water; by application of the New Century 
Bleacher or heated white wine vinegar and injecting by the nasal 
process. 

Q. Should all these fail what other methods would you em¬ 
ploy? 

A. I would use a hypodermic needle, inject a strong 
bleacher beneath the skin and supplement this with an outward 
application. 

Q. Can all discolorations be removed? 

A. No, the discolorations in cases of jaundice, Addison’s 
disease of the kidneys, yellow fever, etc., are caused by changes 
in the pigment (coloring matter between the true skin and cuti¬ 
cle) and cannot be removed except by the use of strong acids, 
which would hardly be an improvement. 

EMBALMING. 

Q. What is embalming? 

A. The successful preservation of a dead body by the intel¬ 
ligent use of chemicals. 

Q. How many methods of embalming are taught? 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


177 


A. Three: arterial, cavity, and the so-called needle 
processes. 

Q. Can a body be properly embalmed by the cavity or 
needle process? 

A. No, a body can only be embalmed by arterial work, sup¬ 
plemented when necessary by cavity and needle embalming. 

Q. What is accomplished by arterial embalming? 

A. If the arteries and capillaries are in a healthy condition, 
the entire tissues of the body are permeated with the preserva¬ 
tives and the putrefactive bacteria is destroyed. 

Q. What is accomplished by cavity work? 

A. The viscera or internal organs are 'surrounded with 
fluid, which is supposed to penetrate and preserve them, which it 
may or may not do. 


Needle Embalming. 

Q. What is meant by the needle process? 

A. The injection of the cerebro spinal cavity together with 
the sinuses and other cerebral vessels. The fluid flows through 
the cerebral veins to the capillaries of the brain, thereby filling 
that organ with fluid; it is then forced from the sinuses into the 
internal jugular veins, along the innominate veins and superior 
vena cava to the right auricle of the heart, from that cavity into 
the inferior vena cava and as far down as the valves in the vessels 
of the lower limbs will allow; it will then find its way into 1 the 
portal system and the renal veins, entering the liver, spleen, kid¬ 
neys and the walls of the stomach and intestines. 

Q. Why will the fluid enter these organs? 

A. Because the veins leading from them have no valves. 

Q. When the fluid enters the right auricle of the heart, will 
it not take the course of the blood, pass through the pulmonary 
circulation, and enter the great aorta? 

A. There is a great difference between the dead and the 
living heart. In the living body the blood flows at the same time 
through the superior and inferior venae cavae into the right auri¬ 
cle of the heart, and, assisted by the contraction of the walls of 
that chamber, it passes through the tricuspid valves (which open 
to receive it) into the right ventricle, the walls of which contract, 
driving the blood through the semi-lunar valves into the pul- 


178 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


imonary arteries and along those vessels to the lungs, and so on 
through the whole of the pulmonary circulation. (See Pulmonary 
Circulation.) 

Now it must be remembered that the heart is a hollow mus¬ 
cle, that when dead the muscles contract and the valves are 
closed, there is no expansion of the walls, and, as the fluid is 
injected into the brain, it enters the auricle through one vein 
only, sufficient pressure not being exerted to open the valves; 
therefore, as before said, the fluid flows into the inferior vena 
cava and from this great trunk will flow through those veins only 
that contain no valves to impede it. 

Q. Is there any difference in the results obtained by using 
the Barns needle process, the Champion, eye, or nasal process? 

A. No, the choice is only in convenience and absence of 
mutilation or danger of disfigurement. The nasal process is the 
only one which is both convenient and safe. 

Q. In what cases would you use the needle process? 

A. In all cases of brain disease or decomposition of that 
organ, in all cases of discoloration of the face or neck, and when 
from any cause arterial embalming has not been done. 

Q. Are the arteries injected by any of the so-called methods 
of needle embalming? 

A. It is not impossible that a very small quantity of the 
fluid might find its way into the arteries by the way of the pul¬ 
monary circulation, but it is highly improbable. 

Cavity Embalming* 

Q. Describe your method of doing cavity embalming 

A. If arterial embalming is not to be done, I first inject the 
brain by the nasal process, using about one and one-half pints of 
fluid, and then the interior of the lungs through the trachea. 
Should the fluid not pass freely into the lungs, I would inject 
a sufficient quantity of fluid to cover the lungs into the pleural 
•cavities, by passing the instrument beneath the junction of the 
•sternum and clavicle into each cavity. I would then pass my in¬ 
strument under the naval or umbilicus and inject into the ab- 
Aomen a sufficient quantity of fluid to cover all of the abdominal 
viscera. I should then consider the embalming by this method 
complete. 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER 


1/9 


O. If the fluid passed freely into the lung’s when injecting 
through the trachea, would you consider it necessary to inject the 
pleural cavities? 

A. No, the lungs wall always be well preserved if the fluid 
is injected into them through the trachea. 

Q. How does this method differ in effect from the old 
method of doing cavity work? 

A. By this method I place fluid in the interior and outside 
of the brain, lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys, and the walls of the 
intestines and stomach. By the old method the fluid is placed on 
the outside of these organs only, the brain excepted, as that or¬ 
gan is never reached by the old method of doing cavity work. 

Arterial Embalming, 

Q. Which artery do you consider offers the greatest facili¬ 
ties to the embalmer? 

A. The radial, because it is easily secured and with very 
little mutilation, because it is more convenient to use and the 
amateur embalmer can make no mistake in raising it at this point, 
as there are no other vessels or nerves to confuse or mislead him. 

Q. Give the linear guide for locating the radial artery. 

A. The course of the radial artery can be found by drawing 
a line from a point midway between the condyles of the humerus 
(elbow joint) to the metacarpal bone of the thumb. 

Q. Give the anatomical guides for locating the radial 
artery. 

A. The radial artery, the smaller of the two divisions of the 
brachial, commences at the bifurcation of that vessel, about one- 
half inch below the bend of the elbow, and extends downward on 
the thumb side of the hand between the supinator longus and 
flexor carpi radialis muscles to the metacarpal bone of the thumb. 
Therefore, the anatomical guides are the above named muscles 
and their tendons. 

Q. How would you raise the radial artery? 

A. You have only to cut through the skin, superficial fascia 
and fat to see the artery lying in its sheath ; and then, severing 
the sheath with the scalpel or handle of the hook, raise it to the 
surface with the aneurism hook. The best point to select for 
raising this vessel is about three inches above the wrist joint. 


i8o 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


Q. Are there any veins accompanying the radial artery? 

A. There are two, called venae comites; but they are at¬ 
tached to the artery and need not be removed, as they are very 
small and can cause no trouble to the embalmer. 

Q. How many branches has the radial artery? 

A. Twelve, none of which are of any importance to the em- 
balmer. 

Q. Give the linear guide for locating the brachial artery. 

A. Draw a line from the anterior middle of the axillary 
space to a point a little outside of the centre of the condyles of the 
humerus (elbow joint). In the upper and middle third of the 
space the line will be found directly over the course of the artery; 
in the lower third it will be found about one-sixteenth of an inch 
outside of the vessel. 

Q. Give the anatomical guides for locating 'the brachial 
artery. 

‘ A. The brachial artery, a continuation of the axillary, com¬ 
mences at the termination of that vessel and extends along the 
base of the biceps muscle to its bifurcation at a point about one- 
half inch below the bend of the elbow. It is enclosed in a sheath 
with its accompanying veins and the median nerve. Therefore, 
the anatomical guides are the biceps muscle* the median nerve, 
and the brachial veins which accompany the artery. 

Q. How would you raise the brachial artery? 

A. Draw the arm tight at a right angle from the body, palm 
of the hand up, and this will show the bicipital groove at the base 
of the muscle. Select the middle third of the muscle as the point 
at which to make the incision, cut through the skin, superficial 
fascia and fat, and locate the median nerve, which lies in the deep 
fascia or sheath. Dissect the fascia from the nerve, then push it 
to one side and the artery will usually be found just beneath it. 
Now clear the fascia from the artery and, carefully separating it 
from the veins, either with the scalpel or handle of the aneurism 
hook, raise it to the surface. 

O. What are the branches of the brachial artery? 

A. The superior profunda, inferior profunda, nutrient, 
anastomo'tica magna, and muscular branches. 

Q. Give the linear guide for locating the carotid artery. 

A. A string, drawn from the mastoid process, in the occi- 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


181 


pital bone just behind the ear, to the junction of the sternum and 
clavicle, will be directly over the line of the carotid artery. 

Q. Give the anatomical guides to the carotid artery. 

A. The sterno mastoid muscle and the trachea. 

Q. How would you raise the carotid artery? 

A. By making a leaf like incision near the junction of the 
sternum and clavicle, severing the sterno mastoid muscle from 
its attachment to the breast bone, and raising the skin and tissues, 
the artery can easily be located with the finger, as it lie's between 
the outer border of the muscle and the trachea. 

Q. Give the linear guide for locating the femoral artery. 

A. A line drawn from the centre of Poupart’s ligament to 
the inner side of the knee joint will be directly over the line of 
the femoral artery. 

Q. Give the anatomical guide for locating the femoral 
artery. 

A. Scarpa’s triangle, bounded on the outside by sartorius 
muscle, on the inside by adductor longus, and above by Poupart’s 
ligament. 

Q. At what point would you make the incision for raising 
the femoral? 

A. Usually at a point about one-half inch below Poupart’s 
ligament. 

Q. How would you proceed? 

A. I would cut through the skin, superficial fascia and fat, 
making an incision from one to two inches long. At this point 
the artery will be found very close to the surface in the same 
sheath with the femoral vein, but separated from it by a mem¬ 
branous partition. 

Q. How much fluid do you inject into a body of average 
size and condtion? 

A. No general rule can be laid down, as everything de¬ 
pends upon the size and condition of the body, the length of time 
it is to be kept, etc. From three to five pints is usually sufficient. 

Q. What is the relative capacity of the arteries and capil¬ 
laries? 

A. According to Flint and Dalton the capacity of the ca¬ 
pillaries is three hundred -times greater than that of the arteries, 
but I think they are mistaken. I have no doubt, however, that 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


182 

the capillaries will hold from fifty to sixty times as much as the 
arteries. 

Q. How much fluid is it possible to inject into the arteries 
of a body weighing one hundred and eighty pounds? 

A. With the proper apparatus for doing the work it is pos¬ 
sible to inject at least five gallons, but it is never necessary to do 
so. 

Q. How long can a body be kept by embalming? 

A. With modern methods and fluids a body can be kept for 
an indefinite period of time'. 

Q. What is meant by areolar tissue? 

A. Subcutaneous cellular tissue or fat, a layer of which 
covers the whole body between the skin and the muscles. 

Q. Is this tissue always supplied with a sufficient quantity 
of capillary vessels to receive fluid enough to preserve it? 

A. No, this tissue is often sparsely supplied; and, under the 
influence of certain diseases (Arteritis), such vessels as are found 
there are constricted to such an extent that fluid will not pass 
through them; hence, we sometimes find gases generating be¬ 
tween the skin and the muscles. 

Q. How do you overcome this difficulty? 

A. By injecting fluid beneath the skin, which is quickly ab¬ 
sorbed in the tissues and the elements of fermentation destroyed. 

RIGOR MORTIS. 

Q. What is rigor mortis? 

A. When the body becomes rigid after death it is called 
rigor mortis. 

Q. What causes the body to become rigid? 

A. It is caused by nervous contraction of the muscles and 
the hardening of what is called muscle plasma. 

Q. What do you mean by plasma? 

A. A colorless fluid portion of the blood. 

DISEASES OF THE BODY AND THEIR RELATION 

TO EMBALMING. 

Q. What is dropsy? 

A. A disturbance in the circulation, causing an exudation 
of serous fluid into the cellular tissues or serous cavities of the 
body. 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


183 


Q. In what diseases is this most likely to' occur? 

A. Bright’s disease or other renal troubles, consumption, 
liver complaint, heart disease, brain troubles or any disease in 
which the circulation is impeded. 

Q. Describe the various manifestations of the disease. 

A. Anarsaca or dropsy of the cellular tissues, oedema or 
dropsy of a part, ascites or peritoneal dropsy, hydrothorax or 
pleural dropsy (water in the pleural cavities), hydropericardium 
or dropsy of the heart (water in the heart sac), hydrocephalous or 
dropsy of the head (water in the'ventricles of the brain), hydro¬ 
cele or scrotal dropsy. When water is found in both the cellular 
tissues and the serous cavities of the body it is termed general 
dropsy. 

Q. How would you remove the water from the cellular tis¬ 
sues of the lower limbs? 

A. Having covered the embalming board with a rubber 
blanket and laid the body upon it, I would make an incision on 
either side of the knee joint with a twelve inch trocar and raise 
the integument from the tissue by thrusting the trocar beneath 
the skin; having loosened the skin from the tissues in this way, 
I would press the water out by rubbing with the hands, or by 
using a strong rubber bandage, commencing at the extreme 
upper portion of the thigh and bandaging downwards, there¬ 
by forcing the water from the tissues ; I would then inject a quan¬ 
tity of strong formaldehyde fluid between the skin and the flesh, 
which would harden the parts and prevent any danger of skin 
slipping. 

Q. How would you remove water from the abdominal 
cavity? 

A. I would elevate the body as high as possible, allowing 
the fluid to gravitate into the pelvic basin, and then remove it by 
tapping the cavity, making the aperture just above the pubic 

bone. 

Q. How would you remove water from the pleural cavities? 

A. Through the same aperture made for tapping the heart; 
or, if this has not been done, the aperture made for tapping the 
stomach may be used. 

Q. How would you remove water from the ventricles of 
the brain? 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


184 


A. By passing a trocar into the cavity of the cranium 
through the nasal passage. 

Q. How would you remove water from the arms and 
hands? 

A. I11 much the same manner as from the lower limbs, 
making the aperture near the elbow joint. 

O. Describe the morbid condition of a body dead of ty¬ 
phoid fever. 

A. The bowels will usually be found distended with gas 
and their walls covered with little pits. Pyers patches will be 
found on all parts of the intestines, and upon raising the colon 
with an instrument it will appear to be covered with abscesses, 
although they are not such, the appearance being caused by in¬ 
flammation. The cavity will be likely to contain a quantity of 
serum which may be mixed with blood. 

Q. How would you treat a case of typhoid fever? 

A. I would first remove the gases from the* abdominal cav¬ 
ity and intestines by tapping the stomach, give a thorough arte¬ 
rial injection, and draw the blood; then I would inject about 
three pints of fluid into the abdomen and knead the bowels, 
thereby washing out the cavity and thinning the serum. I would 
then elevate the body, allowing the fluid to gravitate into the 
pelvis, tap that cavity, remove all of the fluid contents and refill 
with fresh embalming fluid. I would also inject all the apertures 
of the body and pack them with cotton saturated in a good dis¬ 
infectant. 

Q. How would you treat a body that had met death by 
drowning? 

A. My method would be to first remove the* blood, by tap¬ 
ping a vein or the right auricle of the heart, and then the water 
from the lungs, by first drawing the tongue from the mouth and 
then placing the body across a chair or some other hard sub¬ 
stance, letting it rest on the breast bone, and, by pressing be¬ 
tween the shoulders, force the water from the lungs. If there 
were watei in the stomach that could not be removed in this way, 
I would tap that organ with the trocar and use the aspirator. I 
\\ ould then embalm the body in the usual way, not neglecting to 
inject the lungs and stomach. 

O. What is meant bv a floater? 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


185 

A. A body that has been in water long enough to float on 
the surface. 

Q. Can such a case be preserved? 

A. It can be deodorized and hardened, but cannot be re¬ 
stored to its natural appearance. 

Q. How can this be accomplished? 

A. By drawing the blood—when it can be done; by doing 
arterial work if possible; by injecting large quantities of for¬ 
maldehyde fluid under the skin and allowing it to be absorbed by 
the tissues; by injecting the brain by the nasal process; by open¬ 
ing the body and washing out the cavities, relieving the gases 
from the intestines, and filling the cavities with a strong solution 
of formaldehyde; or by packing the body in hardening com¬ 
pounds and sawdust, and filling the cavities with the same ma¬ 
terials. 

Q. What is peritonitis? 

A. Inflammation of the peritoneum, causing deposits of 
purulent matter in the cavity and leaving the bowels and other 
viscera of the abdomen in a highly inflamed condition. 

O. How would you treat a case dead of this disease? 

A. If the body was purging, I would first relieve the gases 
By tapping the stomach and inject fluid into that organ; I would 
then tap a vein or the right auricle of the heart, remove the blood 
and inject arterially; after which I would treat the body in the 
same manner as directed in cases of typhoid fever. 

Q. What is liable to be the morbid condition of a body 
dead of consumption? 

A. The lungs are liable to be found adhered to the posterior 
walls of the thorax; the pleural cavities are liable to be filled with 
water, and serous fluid may be found in the abdominal cavity. 

O. How would you treat a case dead of this disease? 

A. First remove the serous fluid if present in the body, in¬ 
ject arterially, then inject the lungs through the trachea, and, 
should the fluid fail to pass freely into them in this way, I 
would inject the pleural cavities. 

Q. Should the fluid appear at the mouth while injecting a 
case of consumption, what would you consider the cause? 

A. I should know that the bronchial or pulmonary vessels 
1 were ruptured, and that the fluid was flowing from them to the 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


186 

air cells, through the bronchial tubes to the trachea, and out of 
the mouth. 

Q. What would you do to prevent it? 

A. I would make an incision in the skin at the upper por¬ 
tion of the breast bone, raise it from the lower portion of 
the trachea, then, using a large crooked surgeon’s needle with a 
strong string attached to it, pass the needle beneath the trachea, 
thereby drawing the thread under that tube, and tie it tightly; the 
injecting may then be proceeded with. 

Q. When the lungs are adhered to the walls of the thorax, 
are signs of decomposition liable to appear on the walls of the 
chest? 

A. Yes. 

Q. What would you do to prevent it? 

A. Inject fluid beneath the skin over the parts affected;, 
this will be rapidly absorbed in the tissues and find its way into 
the lungs by penetrating the intercostal spaces. 

Q. What is arteritis? 

A. Arteritis or inflammation of the arteries is sometimes 
caused by overwork, but is more often the result of chronic dis¬ 
eases, such as rheumatism, gout, syphilis, or abuse of alcohol, 
and will often be found affecting the bodies of the very aged. 

Q. How does it affect the vessels? 

A. In many cases the walls of the arteries become hard and 
shelly, a condition known as calcification or ossification of the 
arteries Sometimes they are very soft and appear to have lost 
their elasticity and cannot be raised without breaking, a condi¬ 
tion known as fatty degeneration. In many cases the smaller 
vessels are very much constricted and in some entirely closed. 
This disease sometimes affects the capillary vessels also, making 
it very difficult to obtain collateral circulation. 

Q. What parts of the body would be most likely to be left 
without preservatives in these cases? 

A. Certain portions of the viscera which are supplied by 
only one aitery, and the areolar or subcutaneous tissue between 
the skin and the muscles. 

Q* What precautions would you use tO’ insure success in 
such cases? 

A. I would inject by the nasal process, do good cavity 
work, and when necessary inject beneath the skin. 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


187 


Q. What is an aneurism? 

A. A tumor filled with blood, formed by the walls of an 
artery. When death is the result of an aneurism, it means that 
all three coats of the vessel have become involved and ruptured— 
this is called a true aneurism. 

Q. What arteries are most likely to be affected in this way? 

A. The ascending arch of the aorta is most likely to be 
affected, but the disease may exist in any part of this vessel or 
any of its branches. 

Q. Could a body dying of this affection be arterially em¬ 
balmed w r hen the seat of the disease is the great aorta? 

A. It could by a skilled embalmer, but would require con¬ 
siderable mutilation and would not be advisable unless strictly 
necessary. 

Q. How would you treat a case of this kind? 

A. I would draw as much blood as possible, use the needle 
process, inject the lungs through the trachea, treat the abdominal 
cavity and inject as much fluid as possible into the mediastinum 
and cardiac sac. 

Q. What causes purging? 

A. The formation of gases in the large or small intestines, 
stomach or lungs, and sometimes, but rarely, in the brain. 

Q. What causes gases? 

A. Fermentation and decomposition. 

Q. What is the usual cause of fermentation? 

A. Putrifactive bacteria. 

Q. How do you prevent purging from the stomach? 

A. Having first attached a long rubber tube to my trocar, 
I place the free end of the tube in a bottle partially filled with 
fluid and, having located the cardiac portion of the stomach, 
insert my trocar into that organ and allow the gases to pass 
through the tube into the fluid; this will deodorize the gases and 
destroy any disease germs that may escape with Ithe gas. Hav¬ 
ing done this, I attach my injector and inject a quantity of the 
fluid into the stomach, thus destroying the putrifactive bacteria 
and effectually prevent any further formation of gases. 

Q. What would you do in a case of purging from the 
lungs? 

A. I would relieve the gases and inject the interior of the 
lungs through the trachea. 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


188 


Q. How would you decide from what part of the body the 
matter was escaping? 

A. From its appearance. Matter from the stomach is usu¬ 
ally of a dark brown color, while that from the lungs will be 
mucous and often mixed with blood 

Q. How can you tell when decomposition has commenced 
in the brain? 

A. By bulging of the eyes, broadening of the face, purging 
from the nostrils and, in very rare cases, from the ears. 

Q. What would you do in a case of this kind? 

A. I would inject the brain by the nasal process. 

Q. In what cases are we most likely to meet with a throm¬ 
bus or embolism in the arteries? 

A. In diseases of the heart, cancer, consumption, or any 
chronic complaint, such as rheumatism, gout or syphilis. 

Q. What effect will a thrombus or embolism have upon the 
circulation while injecting? 

A. It is likely to greatly impede or wholly obstruct the 
circulation. 

O. If, while injecting the radial artery, you found that the 
fluid would not flow, what would you do? 

A. Raise and inject the brachial artery. 

O. If that vessel also failed to receive the fluid, what would 
be your next resort? 

A. I should conclude that I was dealing with a case of de¬ 
generation, or calcification of the arteries, and that collateral 
circulation was not probable. However, I should raise either the 
carotid or femoral artery and try to inject through that vessel; if 
that failed, I would resort to cavity and needle embalming. 

Q. What is meant by a case of alcoholism? 

A. A body that has died from the intemperate use of alco¬ 
holic liquors. 

Q.W'hat is liable to be the condition of such a body? 

A. In alcoholism we are liable to have chemical conditions 
that may give us trouble in many ways, such as rapid fermenta¬ 
tion and generation of gases, also very serious discolorations of 
the skin, such as red spots on the face, discolored nose, etc. 

Q. How would you treat such a case? 

A. Draw the blood and embalm in the usual way, doing 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


189 

arterial, cavity and needle work; apply the New Century 
Bleacher to the face and, if this does not remove the discolora¬ 
tions, inject the same compound beneath the skin with a hypo¬ 
dermic needle. 

O. How would you treat ovarian tumors? 

A. Ovarian tumors are either cystic, cellular, or hard; if a 
cystic tumor I would pass the aspirator tube into the growth and 
remove as much water as possible then inject embalming fluid 
in its place. If a cellular tumor, I would break up the cells by 
thrusting my instrument into the tumor many times, attach the 
aspirator and remove as much water as possible, then attach an 
injector and fill with embalming fluid. Hard tumors will seldom 
give any trouble provided the water always present in the peri¬ 
toneal cavity be removed and the tumor surrounded with em¬ 
balming fluid. 

Q. How would you treat a case of enlargement of the liver 
or spleen? 

A. On account of the fact that when an organ enlarges 
abnormally the blood vessels do not multiply accordingly, it is 
impossible to obtain a thorough circulation. I first do arterial 
embalming, then thrust a hollow needle into the enlarged organ 
many times and inject as much fluid as possible, after which I 
surround it with fluid. 

Q. How would you treat a case of puerperal fever? 

A. Owing to the multitude of bacteria present in the body 
in this disease, decomposition will be rapid unless arrested at 
once; I, therefore, draw the blood as quickly as possible, inject 
at least three quarts of fluid arterially and pack the vagina firmly 
with cotton saturated with strong disinfectant. I then supple¬ 
ment my work by a cavity injection and inject by the nasal pro¬ 
cess. While handling a 'case of this kind I would always take 
care not to allow any of the blood or other poisons of the body 
to come in contact with any sore or abrasion of any kind that 
might be on my hands, as it is very dangerous. 

Q. How would you treat a case of death after childbirth 
from any cause other than puerperal fever? 

A. If death was the result of hemorrhage, injecting arteri¬ 
ally, packing the vagina, and injecting the abdominal cavity 
would probably be sufficient. If, however, death was the result 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


190 

of blood poisoning, known as septicemia or pyemia, drawing all 
the blood possible and packing all the apertures would be neces¬ 
sary to insure success. 

Q. How would you take care of the body of a woman 
dying in pregnancy? 

A. It has long been taught that a child in the womb can 
be injected through the arteries of^lie mother, the opinion being 
prevalent that in life the blood of the mother flows through the 
vessels of 'the child. This, however, is a mistaken idea; the 
child is not nourished directly by the mother’s blood, neither 
does the blood of the mother flow into the vessels of the child; 
but the mother’s blood flows into the placenta through the 
branches of the internal iliac arteries and the child’s blood also 
comes to the placenta through the arteries of the umbilical cord, 
though the placental vessels are entirely separate. The salts and 
oxygen which nourish the child pass from the mother’s blood 
by osmosis into the blood of the child, and the purified blood 
again passes into the child; this process is continually going on 
and the child is nourished thereby. This being true, the em- 
balmer cannot expect to embalm a child in a mother’s womb ex¬ 
cept by a direct application of the fluid. I would therefore pass 
my trocar into the sack, called the amnion, in which the child is 
immersed in amniotic fluid, withdraw the fluid, then refill the sac 
with embalming fluids, inject the abdominal cavity of the mother, 
do thorough arterial work and, when necessary, withdraw the 
blood and you need have no fear of 'the results. 

Q. What is liable to be the morbid condition of a body 
dying of pneumonia? 

A. One or both organs may be involved and the vessels 
congested; a quantity of serous fluid may be found in the pleural 
cavities; the right cavities of the heart and the venous system 
will be found filled with blood, which, owing to the large amount 
of fibrine formed in this disease, is often coagulated. 

Q. Aside from arterial embalming, how would you treat 
such a case? 

A. Remove any water that may be in the pleural cavities, 
draw the blood as quickly as possible, inject the lungs through 
the trachea and, when necessary, fill the pleural cavities. 

Q. When is it necessary to fill the pleural cavities? 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


191 

A. When the fluid does not pass freely into the lungs by 
injecting the trachea. 

Q. How would you care for a body dying of cancer? 

A. In cases dead of cancer, there is every reason to believe 
that the body has not only one but many cancers, in which case 
the blood vessels are more than likely to be obstructed by throm¬ 
bus or entirely destroyed by the disease. In such cases I would 
not depend upon arterial work alone, but would do the best 
cavity and needle embalming possible. If the cancer had eaten 
into any exposed part of the body, I would wash out the sore 
with formaldehyde disinfectant, place some hardening com¬ 
pound in the cavity to harden the tissues; then mix a sufficient 
quantity of plaster of paris and fill the cavity, smoothing it off 
nicely with a case knife or a smoother of some kind and, after 
this hardens, cover with flesh tints as nearly the color of the skin 
as possible; in this way cases may be made presentable which 
would otherwise present a hideous appearance. 

Q. Describe the morbid condition of a body dying with 
Bright’s disease. 

A. The morbid conditions vary in different cases; the kid¬ 
neys may be enlarged and their weight increased, or they may 
be almost entirely destroyed; the superficial veins are often 
found distended, and in cutting the tissue bloody serum often 
escapes. Dropsy is more than likely to be present in the tissues 
and serous cavities. In certain forms of the disease the small 
arteries may become thickened and contracted, making it next 
to impossible to inject fluid into the capillaries; the capillaries 
may also become involved. 

Q. How would you take care of such a case? 

A. It soon becomes apparent to the embalmer that these 
conditions exist from the fact that he finds great difficulty in the 
injection of the vessels. When I find that I cannot inject a cer¬ 
tain vessel, I raise another and, if that fails to receive the fluid, 
I feel satisfied that I have a case of degeneration or constriction 
of the arteries and capillaries. It often happens that the arteries 
become degenerated to such an extent as to lose their elasticity, 
and we, consequently, find it impossible to raise them to the sur¬ 
face without breaking. In these cases thorough cavity work 
should be done and an injection of the venous system by the 


192 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


needle process be given If water is found in the subcutaneous- 
tissue, it should always be removed and a formaldehyde fluid in¬ 
jected beneath the skin. 

HYGIENE, SANITATION AND DISINFECTION* 

Q. What is the meaning of the words, Hygiene and Sanita¬ 
tion ? 

A. Hygiene, laws for the preservation and promotion of 
health; Sanitation, the act of putting in a sanitary or healthy con¬ 
dition. 

Q. As applied to the business of an undertaker and em- 
balmer, what does it mean? 

A. The cleansing and proper disinfecting of any body hav¬ 
ing died of a contagious disease which may come into his charge, 
also the disinfecting of rooms previously occupied by a person 
sick with a contagious or infectious disease. 

Q. What are disinfectants? 

A. Extreme heat, sulphur, chloride of lime, carbolic acid, 
bichloride of mercury and formaldehyde. There are many others, 
but those mentioned are considered the best. 

O. In what percentage should the above named disin¬ 
fectants be used to properly disinfect a dead body? 

A. Bichloride, i part to 1000; formaldehyde, io per cent.; 
carbolic acid, 4 per cent. 

Q. Are all embalming fluids disinfectants? 

A. All embalming fluids should be disinfectants, but they 
are not all reliable. 

Q. How can an embalming fluid be made a disinfectant? 

A. By adding bichloride of mercury or formaldehyde in 
proper proportions. 

Q. What is the difference between a contagious and an 
infectious disease? 

A. A contagious disease is one that infects the air, the 
germs of which can be carried from place to place in the clothing 
or about the person and communicated to others by contact or 
otherwise, and, hence, is liable to become epidemic. An infec¬ 
tious disease is one that can only be communicated by inhaling 
the germs in the air or by drinking infected water. 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


i 93 


Q. Name some of the most contagious diseases. 

A. Asiatic cholera, smallpox, diphtheria, scarlet fever, 
yellow fever and measles. 

Q. Name two of the infectious cases that are not consid¬ 
ered contagious. 

A. Typhoid fever and certain forms of peritonitis. 

O. What diseases are liable to be communicated by bed 
clothing, wearing apparel, etc.? 

A. Any of the diseases classed above as contagious. 

Q. What disease is liable to be communicated by drink¬ 
ing water? 

A. Typhoid fever. 

Q. How would you disinfect clothing, bed clothes, etc., 
which had been worn or slept in by a person affected with a 
contagious disease? 

A. Fire is the only sure disinfectant; therefore, if the dis¬ 
ease were highly contagious, I would burn them. 

Q. If this were not allowed, how would you proceed to 
disinfect them? 

A. I would boil them in water for one hour or expose them 
to the fumes of formaldehyde, chlorine or sulphurous acid gas for 
from six to eight hours, using a small room or closet for this 
purpose. 

Q. What precautions would you take to prevent spreading 
the disease and to protect yourself and family, if you were called 
upon to handle a highly contagious case? 

A. I would provide myself with a suit of clothes especially 
for this purpose, rubber or mackintosh preferred, which I would 
spray with a solution containing a good disinfectant. The hands, 
face and hair should be washed with a solution of bichloride 
of mercury. The clothing worn while handling the case should 
be kept in an outhouse or unused room and thoroughly disin¬ 
fected. 

Q. How do you produce sulphurous acid gas? 

A. It can be produced by placing a quantity of sulphur in 
an old vessel, covering this with the same quantity of powdered 
charcoal, saturating the whole with alcohol and applying a light¬ 
ed match; the gas will be released and is an excellent disinfec¬ 
tant, but like chlorine gas is very liable to bleach fabrics and 
corrode gilt mouldings, mirrors or picture frames. 


194 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


Q. What is considered the best disinfectant for rooms and 
houses where a contagious case has been confined? 

A. Formaldehyde gas. 

Q. Why is formaldehyde gas better than sulphurous acid 
and chlorine gas? 

A. It is non-poisonous and does not bleach or stain fabrics 
and ruin gilt frames or mouldings. 

Q. What is the best disinfectant for the excretions from a 
typhoid fever case? 

A. As a disinfectant, either bichloride of mercury or chlor¬ 
ide of lime As a deodorant, either chloride of zinc or perman¬ 
ganate of potash. 

Q. What is the difference between a deodorizer and a dis¬ 
infectant? 

A. A deodorizer destroys bad odors only; a disinfectant 
is a germ killer. 

Q. Can a solution be prepared that will be both a de¬ 
odorizer and a germ killer? 

A. Yes. 

Q* ^ame some of the chemicals used in preparing a de¬ 
odorizer. 

A. Chloride of zinc, chloride of lime and permanganate 
of potash. 

Q. What cases are most liable to cause blood poisoning? 

A. Puerperal fever, diphtheria, septicemia or pyemia, 
syphilis and many others. 

Q. How would you prepare a body for shipment that had 
died of a contagious disease? 

A. I would wash and sponge the body thoroughly with a 
good disinfectant, give it a thorough arterial injection with a 
fluid that I knew to be a disinfectant, inject and afterwards pack 
all the apei tuies of the body, fill all the cavities in a proper 
manner and, if required by the laws of my state, I would bandage 
with absorbent cotton and ship in a metallic lined casket or coffin. 

Q. C an all bodies that die of contagious diseases be pre¬ 
served and shipped from one state to another and to a foreign 
country? 

A. No, there are many contagious diseases that the laws 

of most countries would not permit to be brought over their 
borders. 


195 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 

Q. What is the difference between diphtheria and mem¬ 
branous croup? 

A. Very little, if any; they should be treated as equally 
contagious. 

O. What precaution would you take in removing from 
one cemetery to another a body which had died of a contagious 
disease and been buried several years? 

A. I would remove it in a metallic lined casket or box and, 
foi my own protection, would spray the remains with a solution 
containing a good disinfectant before handling it. 

Q* How would you disinfect a room where a person sick 
with a contagious disease had been confined? 

A. Chlorine gas is an excellent disinfectant for rooms and 
can easily be produced by placing one pound of chloride of lime 
in a vessel, dampening it with water, and mixing with about 
3 oz - of muriatic acid. Having done this, I would close the room 
tightly, leave it overnight, and in the morning open the windows 
and doors and allow the air and sunshine to penetrate the room 
as much as possible. Rooms may also be disinfected by for¬ 
maldehyde gas, which can be produced by the use of any of the 
generators now on the market. Sulphurous acid gas is also con¬ 
sidered a good disinfectant for the room; however, we think 
formaldehyde gas preferable to all others. 

Q. Why should absorbent cotton be used to bandage a 
body dead of a contagious disease? 

A. Because disease germs cannot pass through it. 

Q. What would you do in case you should cut or prick 
your hand with a poisonous instrument while working on a dead 
body? 

A. I would immediately wash the part and, if there were 
no abrasions in the mouth, apply it to the wound and extract the 
blood by suction; then, as soon as possible, cauterize with nitrate 
of silver or carbolic acid. 


O. What is bacteriology? 

A. The science of the germs of disease. 




Short articles and Suggestions 


ON 

Conducting Funerals and Funeral Etiquette 

BY 

VARIOUS CORRESPONDENTS 













































Funeral Etiquette, 


While preparing this work on the art and science of em¬ 
balming, I deemed it well that some suggestions on the art of 
conducting funerals and funeral etiquette should be given, and 
I, therefore, solicited from some of my friends in the profession, 
whom I believed could write something of interest on the sub¬ 
ject, an article for publication in this work. In response to my 
request I received several articles and have used those which I 
think will be most instructive and useful to the funeral 
director. 

The articles are to be considered as suggestions only, and 
are intended to give the readers of this work an idea of the 
manner in which some of their brother undertakers conduct 
the funerals that come under their charge. 

I would take this occasion to return thanks to those who 
generously contributed the articles, and would recommend them 
to the careful perusal and consideration of my readers. 

A. JOHNSON DODGE. 



FUNERAL ETIQUETTE. 


201 


BY Ji FRANK CHILD. 

By special request of “my friends/’ Prof. A. J. and G. B. 
Dodge, I am induced to write a short article on the subject of 
“Funeral Directing.” This request, I presume, is purely com¬ 
plimentary, they being my friends in the true sense of the word, 
and not on account of their knowledge of my ability to write any¬ 
thing of interest to the profession, they never having been eye 
witnesses of my funeral directing. However, I am going to take 
them as they say, regardless of what they mean, and in my 
humble way tell “The Boys” how I conduct funerals; and if by 
so doing I succeed in offering one suggestion whereby one 
struggling “funeral director” will be benefitted, then I shall have 
accomplished my object. I sincerely hope my brothers will not 
think me conceited, but will attribute my effort to my love for 
my profession, and my sincere desire to advance its interests. 
Volumes might be written on this subject and not exhaust it, 
but as I must be brief, with this humble apology, I will come 
down to business. 

We will imagine that I have a funeral to conduct at the 
home of the deceased; time, 2 o’clock P. M. About 10 o’clock 
A. M. of the same day will find me at the house, placing chairs, 
arranging flowers, and doing such other work as my hands find 
to do. When taking the casket into the house is the time I map 
my way out with it. This avoids delay and gives the bearers 
a good impression of your ability. Previous to retiring I ascer¬ 
tain where and for whom carriages are to call, and also request 
them to have a carriage list in readiness for me, on my arrival at 
the house at 1.30 P. M. I usually have a hack call at my office to 
convey me to the house. I always make it a point to be on time. 
I supply myself with one of my printed carriage lists, and always 
have a small brush broom in my pocket to brush the dirt off the 
casket after removing the flowers. 

Arriving at the house, my first duty is to copy my carriage 
list, making sure to have it as accurate as possible; then finish 
arranging flowers and placing chairs. 

After ascertaining where the mourners are to be seated, I 
take my station at the door, prepared to receive the guests and 
conduct them to their seats, opening and closing the door as 


202 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


quietly as possible. I assign to the minister and singers their 
respective stations, and at the appointed time quietly announce 
to the minister that we are in readiness to proceed, and resume 
my station at the door, to admit “straggling guests.” Why they 
persist in coming late, knowing the time set for the funeral, is a 
mystery that no funeral director is able to solve, but it is one of 
the crosses we have to bear. Immediately after the service I 
conduct the minister and singers to carriages, instructing the 
driver to convey them to their homes and return as soon as pos¬ 
sible. Returning, I arrange everything about the casket to my 
taste and announce to the guests in the various apartments, one 
apartment at a time, that an opportunity will be given them to 
take leave of their friend, always having a care to select the dif¬ 
ferent apartments, so as to avoid confusion. I have omitted to 
say that, if an organization was in attendance, and the apartment 
wherein reposed the casket was not occupied by the mourners, 
that apartment would be delegated to them. After they have 
performed their service, I request them to resume their seats, 
and they are the last to retire. If the weather is such that they 
cculd not remain out of doors with comfort, they retire to a re¬ 
mote apartment and wait until summoned. In announcing the 
carriages in readiness, I announce the last one in the procession 
first, and after escorting them to the carriage and assisting them 
in, I order the hack moved on two carriage lengths, and each 
carriage in succession passes by and takes position in front of 
the former one. This method allows the immediate mourners a 
short time alone with their dead, which I have invariably found 
appreciated. After the carriages are formed in line, I immediate¬ 
ly prepare my casket for the bearers, instructing them how to 
remove it, and, preceding the casket myself, see it safely de¬ 
posited in the hearse. Returning, I remove the drape from the 
door, and place the pedestals and rug out of sight. The bearers 
enter their carriage, and if an organization is present, they file 
out in front of that carriage, the hearse in rear of the bearers, and 
when past the procession, the hack on the right follows in rear 
of the hearse, and we proceed to the cemetery. Previous to the 
funeral the outside box has been delivered at the cemetery, de¬ 
posited in the grave, the mound of dirt nicely covered with a 
grass-green cloth, the grave lined with white cloth, fastened 


FUNERAL ETIQUETTE. 203 

around the edge with common wire nails, and allowed to hang 
loose inside, and sticks placed over the grave to support the cas¬ 
ket, and have straps convenient to lower it. On arrival at the 
cemetery, if attended by an organization, they have previously been 
instructed to open ranks at the gate, allowing the procession to 
pass 'through. Arriving at the grave, I immediately remove ail 
flowers from the hearse, instructing the bearers to spread them 
over the green cloth on the mound. The casket is removed, 
brushed off, and placed over the grave; then the hearse is driven 
away and I repair to the carriages to ascertain if they wish to 
alight; if so, I assist them and conduct them to the grave. If 
there is service at the grave, at the proper time the body is 
lowered, after which the mourners are reconducted to their car¬ 
riages, the bearers take positions on either side the drive, the 
organization opens ranks on either side the gate, and the proces¬ 
sion passes through and away. I remain and arrange the flowers 
as I. wish them laid on the grave. 

Having given you my method of conducting a home 
funeral, as concise and plain as possible, I will now ask your 
indulgence for a moment while I write a word in reference to 
church funerals. Previous to the time of the funeral I have 
ordered all flowers, except those destined to repose on the casket, 
to be taken to the church, where I repair with my church truck, 
for which I have a black and a white drape, and after placing 
it in the most convenient place in the vestibule, to receive the 
casket, I arrange the flowers around the platform as best I can. 
1 have ascertained how many seats will be occupied by the 
mourners, and draw a white ribbon to designate them. I usually 
reserve the front seats on the right of centre aisle for them and 
opposite seats for organizations. The procession leaves the 
home in the same way as described in the home funeral. Arriv¬ 
ing at the church, the hearse is drawn to one side, and I immedi¬ 
ately assist the mourners out of the hacks, instructing them to 
form procession in the vestibule and await my coming. When 
all have been assisted out, I repair to right of procession and 
conduct them slowly to their seats, removing the ribbon as I pass 
down, and seating them as nearly as possible as they were seated 
in the carriages. I then retire, remove the casket from the 
hearse and place it on the bier, arranging the flowers on the 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


204 

casket. If organizations are in attendance, they now file in to 
their seats, remaining standing until the casket is in position. 
The bearers precede the casket down the aisle and open ranks, 
allowing me to pass through. I place the casket, remove the lid, 
the bearers file to their seats, and giving a nod to the minister, 
the service proceeds. At its close I arrange everything about 
the casket, and announce in a quiet way that those present de¬ 
siring to take leave of their friend will now have an opportunity, 
passing down one outside aisle and out by way of the other. 
I lead them to the casket, the procession always passing from 
foot to head, and take my position near the mourners, remaining 
standing until all have passed out, the organizations being the 
last in the procession. I then announce to the mourners that they 
will take leave of their friend and resume their seats, always 
giving them ample time. I retire, have the carriages drawn up, 
same as at the home funeral, reconduct the mourners out, assist 
them into their respective carriages and proceed to the cemetery 
as from the home. 

Now, my brothers, I have exceeded my appropriation of 
space and, I fear, exhausted your patience, but do not feel that 
I could do the subject justice and make the article plain and in¬ 
structive as I desire it to be, with a word less. With just a hint 
in reference to the requirements of the modern funeral director, 
T will close. ITe should always be neat and tidy in his appear¬ 
ance, gentlemanly, courteous, kind and sympathetic, though 
never letting his sympathy run away with his judgment. Always 
remembering that he is the servant of the public, though not a 
menial, and in serving them well and faithfully he will receive 
their kind appreciation. 

Ever bear in mind the Divine promise, “Be not weary in 
well doing, for in due season ye shall reap if ye faint not.” 

Fraternally your brother, 

t 

J. FRANK CHILD, 

Funeral Director. 

No. 213 Main Street, Hazleton Block, Marlboro, Mass, 


funeral etiquette. 


205 


BY JOHN T. GALLAGHER. 

The subject of funeral etiquette has many phases. The cere¬ 
monies to be carried out on public occasions as applied to funeral 
management cannot be defined by set rules to fit all cases alike. 
The locality,, religious belief and established usages vary to such 
a degree that what would be proper here would be considered 
improper elsewhere. Then, too, the censor or critic, whose in¬ 
fluence cannot be ignored, and which is very important in par¬ 
ticular localities, must be considered and carried out, or the 
funeral director would have no abiding place, so to speak. These 
are facts known to every undertaker, consequently lie. must be 
careful not to give offense by introducing novelties that might 
not please, and thus retard his progress. Of course there are 
general orders that may be followed irrespective of custom which 
need no recital here. The funeral director should exercise his 
authority with prudence and decorum, and to the best of his 
ability. The funeral director should at all times be a gentleman, 
and above all practical and unostentatious; many a blunder has 
often been made for want of this latter quality. Discipline and 
method should be enforced in order to ensure success and avoid 
embarrassment at the funeral hour. 

Etiquette, in other words, is good management that may be 
learned by observation and study. Do not belittle the efforts of 
some other funeral director who may have done business with the 
family on a previous occasion. It is unbecoming and unprofes¬ 
sional and will not advance your cause; strictly mind your own 
business. 

Be punctual in all your appointments, especially when the 
body is to be placed in the casket, and previous to the funeral 
hour a word of sympathy to the bereaved family will always be 
appreciated. Have your carriage list and all invitations made 
out in season; arrange the casket and decorations to suit the 
family and ask for an inspection, so that all may be satisfied with 
your work before retiring from the home of the deceased. If 
societies are to attend, follow the customs that obtain in that 
particular locality. 

Trusting that these few ideas may be of service to the pro¬ 
fession, 

I am, yours truly, JOHN T. GALLAGHER, 

Albany, N. Y. 


206 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


BY HENRY F. CATE. 

Of all the various occupations which men follow in gaining 
their livelihood, perhaps none requires a greater number of quali¬ 
fications than that of the funeral director. His deportment in 
conducting his business may well be governed by the old Greek 
maxim of “Nothing to excess.” 

In transacting his business with people, the funeral director 
should not try to assume too' sympathizing an air, for in dealing 
with perfect strangers this would seem ridiculous. In dealing- 
with friends it would be quite another matter. He should not. 
however, go to the other extreme and be icy in demeanor. It is 
very evident that one extreme would be as bad as the other. 

He should be firm, but must remember that his duty is to 
meet the desires of others, not his own. He should temper his 
firmness accordingly. He should quietly listen to the requests 
of his patrons, avoiding too many uninvited suggestions on his 
part. People have their own ideas, and when it is not utterly im¬ 
possible to comply with them, it is the duty of the funeral director 
to do so, even if at his own inconvenience. That little extra 
exertion may count for more ultimately than ever was dreamed 
of. Impatience should never be exhibited; people are often worn 
by cares and cannot quickly collect themselves to grasp situa¬ 
tions. Due consideration should be made accordingly, and all 
the time they require should be patiently and cheerfully spent. 
Any suggestion of impatience or haste will often, with people 
under these conditions, create prejudice against the individual. 

In cases of accident or sudden death extreme care should be 
exercised in respect to deportment. Everything should be done 
in a very quiet manner, avoiding unnecessary questions, thereby 
greatly relieving the parties concerned, which is surely a very 
important mission. 

A word or two concerning the personal appearance of the 
funeral director is not out of order. Great care should be taken 
of the linen. It is cheaper in the end to pay a laundry bill than 
to present one’s self with soiled and untidy linen. He should 
keep his face well shaven; personal appearance certainly counts. 
Shoe polish is cheap, also whisk brooms. 

Whisky and business do not go well together; it should be 


207 


FUNERAL ETIQUETTE. 

avoided (the whisky, I mean). At the funeral, confusion should 
be avoided by quietly executing the previously planned work. 
One of 'the surest tests of the ability of the funeral director is 
drawn from the manner in which arrangements are executed. 
Everything should pass off in an easy, graceful manner, with no 
apparent effort upon his part. One’s success in conducting 
funerals depends largely upon acquiring this easy grace. 

Complications sometimes arise even with the most careful 
planning. Here is where the funeral director should show his 
ability by keeping cool and collected, unravelling the snarls 
without adding to the existing confusion. This certainly is a 
crucial test. So it is very evident that one should carefully 
school themselves in the handling of unforeseen difficulties. 

These few ideas I have expressed are merely fragments of 
the many things, which, when assembled, unite to form the ideal 
method of funeral directing. Our work is never finished; we 
can always learn something. Our aim should be, therefore, to 
seek always the best ideas in management from every source 
available. In so doing, progress will be the result, which should 
be the aim of every successful funeral director. 

HENRY E. CATE, 

Newton, Mass. 


BY STEPHEN MERRITT. 

An undertaker, like an artist, is born such as well as made. 
There are certain distinct qualities that are necessary, and with¬ 
out these one may be successful in money getting, in business 
accumulating, but will fail as a funeral director, and if he suc¬ 
ceeds on one line will almost be sure to fail on the other. It is a 
rare combination, that of a well rounded and completely adapted 
undertaker. After an almost constant application of over half a 
century to this business, making it the study of my life and con¬ 
centrating and consecrating all my powers of body and mind to 
it, I am forced to the opinion that this genius is scarce, and 
though it is greatly improved and is improving, I am too old to 
be considered a leader, and do not know enough to pose as a 
teacher, or even a funeral director, but simply an undertaker. 



2oS 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


I have always had an ambition to be at the head of this profes¬ 
sion which I love, but I lack so many things that I must be 
content to keep up wi'th the procession and instruct others in my 
views that they may honor and exalt it when I am gone. Every 
undertaker should be a gentleman or a gentlewoman. Brawlers 
and blusterers have no place here; they should be quiet and un¬ 
obtrusive, keeping out of sight as much as possible, the servant 
of all and not the boss of any. They should live in their busi¬ 
ness and move out and in in a subdued, dignified, and by no 
means a Pharasaical manner. In person they should be clean 
but not clerical; their breath should be pure, no taint of tobacco, 
or beer, or whisky under any circumstances; their character spot¬ 
less, their lives simple and all their habits beyond reproach. 
Sympathy should abound, but cant or affectation or airs should 
never be put on. Kindliness, gentleness and firmness, which 
makes tact, is a requisite, and these must be in constant use 
or you will often find yourself in most embarrassing condi¬ 
tions. A mind for details, a memory that never fails, and a 
patience that is untiring must be qualities of an up-to-date un¬ 
dertaker. He must always be cool, calm and calculating, see¬ 
ing the end from the beginning and never losing his head. It 
will, not do to be too grasping, or sordid, or selfish, for these kill 
influence with the people; neither will it answer to be too pro¬ 
nounced in religion, politics, or prejudice; nor will it be best 
to be in church, or lodge, or society for the business, for this 
is very distasteful to the thinking community and lowers the 
peculiar influence that should be possessed by every under¬ 
taker. The best thing for an undertaker is to have the best— 
the best is none too good; the cheap is cheap; the best may 
be dear, but it is the best, and the cheapest in the long run. 
.1 he best stores, the best goods, the best hearses, horses, wagons 
and coaches; be the best yourself, and have about you none but 
the best. Make the care and preservation of bodies the study of 
your life. Those whom I am instructing and preparing to take 
my place must know chemistry, anatomy and surgery, simply as 
an adjunct to the greater profession, that of an undertaker. I 
am led to think that one cannot do it all. I tried it, but did not 
make a great success. Wash, lay out, embalm, trim, attend, drive, 
preach, keep the books, collect the bills, push the business. 


FUNERAL ETIQUETTE. 


209 


It is too much—'too many irons in the fire, some burned. So 
I ventured to form a stock company. Combination of forces, 
money, influence and adaptation—every one at work, and work 
in harmony; and such work is an entire success. Never in my 
life so pleased, so profited in the undertaking business as now, 
and never loved it more. 

STEPHEN MERRITT, 

New York. 


BY J. M. GLEASON. 

Minneapolis, April 1, 1900. 

Mr. A. J. Dodge: 

Dear Sir:—In reply to your request that I give a chapter on 
Funeral Directing and Funeral Etiquette, will say that the sub¬ 
ject is one to which considerable time and space might be de¬ 
voted. But I will in a brief way give a few of my ideas. 

The circumstances governing the funeral will cause or call 
for different plans, whether it is a funeral at the residence, church, 
hall, or undertaker’s parlors. If ’the funeral is likely to be a large 
one I always lay out my work and do my planning beforehand. 

The funeral director should be at the residence some time 
before the hour set for the funeral, and ascertain from the family 
or friends or some one who would be most likely to- know as 
to whether there is to be a choir or singers; where the family in¬ 
tend to sit during the services; learn if the clergyman intends 
going to the cemetery ; any particular aisposition of flowers; who 
the pall-bearers are; obtain a list of names of friends whom the 
family might desire to be taken care of in their carriages, and 
any other relatives having conveyances who might intend going 
to the cemetery. Obtain an introduction to the officiating clergy¬ 
man, and the funeral director should be where the minister could 
easily notify him at the end of the services. When the time or 
hour set for the services to commence has arrived, and on learn¬ 
ing that the minister, choir and near relatives are present, I should 
inform the minister that all is ready, and try to remain quiet 
during the services, unless for a very necessary reason. Should 
I have a medium or large-sized funeral I would have my assistant 



2 10 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


present, as it is usually too much for one person to perform the 
work well. A clear, cool head, good judgment and good man¬ 
ners are indispensable for the satisfactory conducting of funerals. 

All funerals cannot be handled after any particular rule. It 
will depend on the individual having charge to arrange. This 
will require time and painstaking. 

J. M. GLEASON. 


BY GEO. L. THOMAS. 

Milwaukee, April 21, 1900. 

So much has been said at conventions and written in trade 
journals on “Funeral Etiquette” during the past few years that 
it seems difficult to offer anything particularly new upon the sub¬ 
ject. After more than twenty-three years’ experience and ob¬ 
servation, I am convinced that the funeral directors’ methods 
have not changed so much in the large cities, in the conducting 
of funerals, as has the fashion and the manners of people attend¬ 
ing funerals. 

We see very little of the crowding in of the curious to see 
how the chief mourners will act at the final leave-taking, as that 
has been done before the arrival of the first comer, and the family 
have retired to secluded quarters. In my opinion the practice 
of “private interment,” which has become so common, has sim¬ 
plified the director’s duties and materially lightened his responsi¬ 
bilities. 

The art preservative, as applied to dead bodies, is now prac¬ 
ticed so universally that many disgusting scenes witnessed at 
funerals twenty or more years ago are unknown to the present 
generation. The placing of the casket, the disposition of the 
flowers, the singers and the clergy are matters to test the skill— 
and temper—of any director, especially when A FRIEND wants 
her way about it, and should always be governed by the situation 
of the rooms. Economy of space, in these days of small rooms, 
must be studied. One of the times for a director to show his 
skill and ingenuity is in the removal of a heavy casket through 
narrow and crooked passages without noise, the marring of door 
casings, or the breaking of a handle. 



FUNERAL ETIQUETTE. 


2 I I 


In Wisconsin the director always has the hearse “back up” 
to receive the casket. It has been severely criticised, but ex¬ 
perience convinces me it is the best method. First, it saves the 
bearers a lift of several inches, when the hearse is against a curb¬ 
ing ; second, it obviates the necessity of director and bearers step¬ 
ping into the street regardless of its condition. 

The carriages for clergy and bearers should be placed next 
to the hearse, that, when the hearse passes away from the curb, 
the carriages may come to that place, receive their loads, pass 
the hearse and proceed in advance. 

When we do not use a “lowering device” we furnish gloves 
to bearers, to prevent the soiling or cutting of hands by the 
straps. Gloves are the only mark we have put on bearers for 
many years The introduction of the latest trucks has superseded 
the use of pedestals even for the house; they are as appropriate 
and much more convenient. 

Yours truly, 

GEO. L. THOMAS. 


























































































f 








t 









DICTIONARY 


OF 

Anatomical Words and Phrases. 


In the pronunciation of the following words, only the regular long and 
short sounds have been given, as follows: — 


a, long, as in 

fate 

e, long, as in . 

. pease 

I, long, as in . 

. fine 

0 , long, as in . 

. loaf 

u, long, as in . 

feudal 


a, short, as in . 

. have 

e, short, as in . 

check 

1 , short, as in . 

admit 

6, short, as in . 

. not 

u, short, as in . 

study 


A 

Ab-d5'men. The cavity bounded above by the diaphragm and below by the 
pelvis. 

Ab-dfic'tor. A muscle which serves to draw a part outward. 

Ab-nor'mal. Not according to rule ; irregular. 

A-bras'ion. A removal of the cuticle in any manner, as by rubbing. 

Ab'scess. An inflammatory or purulent tumor; a gathering, or boil. 

Ab-sorb'. To suck up, as with a sponge. 

Ab-sorb'ents. Vessels or glands which absorb. A dressing which absorbs liquids 
or gases. 

Ab-sorp'tion. Act of absorbing. 

Ac-cu'mu-late. To collect; to gather. 

Ac-rd'mi-on. The upper process of the shoulder-blade articulating with the col¬ 
lar-bone. 

A-cute'. Quick ; sharp ; as a quick, sharp pain. Opposed to chronic ; as an acute 
disease. 

Ad-duce'. To bring forward; to advance; to urge. 

Ad-duc'tor. A muscle that draws forward, or brings parts of the body together. 
Ad-duc'tor Lon'gus. Muscle on inside of thigh. 

Ad-here'. To stick to, as wax to the finger; to be closely united. 

Ad-he'sion. The act or state of adhering. 

A-dul'ter-ate. To corrupt by some foreign mixture. 

Af fect'ed. Acted upon; having produced an effect or change. 

Af-fec'tion. Disorder, or disease. 

A'gue. An intermittent fever, with cold fits succeeded by hot. 

Air Cell. A receptable of air in various parts of the system, as a cavity in the 
cellular tissue of the lungs. 


213 




214 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


| The white of an egg. A constituent of all animal bodies. 


Al-bu'men, 

Al-bu'min. 

Al'ka-li. A substance which, when applied to acids, neutralizes them. 

Al'ka-line. Having the qualities of alkali. 

Al-ve'o-lar. Relating to the sockets of the teeth. 

Am-mo'ni-a. A gaseous substance formed by the union of nitrogen and hydrogen. 
Am'ni-on. The membrane that surrounds the foetus in the womb. 

Am'ni-ot'ic. Of or pertaining to the amnion ; as the amniotic fluid. 

A-nae'mi-a. A morbid condition, in which the blood is deficient in quality or 
in quantity. 

An'a-lyze. To resolve a compound into its first principles or elementary parts. 
A-nom'a-ly. Unusual condition. 

An-a-sar'ca. General dropsy. 

A-nas'to-mose. To unite, as vessels or branches, with one another. 

A-nat'o-my. The science of organized bodies. 

An-ti-sep'tic. A drug or chemical which retards the development of disease 


germs. 

An'thrax. A tumor disease. 

An'eu-rism. A soft tumor, containing blood, arising from the rupture of the 
coats of an artery. 

An-te'ri-or. Preceding; going before ; in front. 

A'nus. The circular opening at the lower extremity of the alimentary canal. 
A-or'ta. The great trunk artery of the body. 

Ap'er-ture. An opening ; a passage. 

A'pex, pi. Lat. Ap'i-ces. The tip or summit. 

Ap-pa-ra'tus. A complete set of instruments used in performing any operation, 
Ap-pend'age. Something attached or annexed. 

Ap-pend-i-ci'tis. Inflammation of the vermiform appendix. 

A-rach'noid. Membranes which, by their extreme thinness, resemble spider-webs. 
A-re'o-lar Tissue. Connective or cellular tissue. 

Ar-te'r!-5les. Small arteries. 

Ar'te-ri'tis. Inflammation of an artery or arteries. 

Ar'te-ry. One of the vessels or tubes which conveys the blood from the heart to 
all parts of the body. 

As-ci'tes. A collection of serous fluid in the abdomen. 

As-phyx'i-ate. To suffocate. 

As'pi-ra'tor. An instrument for the evacuation of blood or water. 

Au'ri-cle. One of the two upper chambers of the heart. 

Ax-il'la. The armpit. 

Ax'il-la-ry. Belonging to the axilla or armpit. 


Bac-te'ri-a. A microscopic vegetable organism. 

Bac-te'ri-ol'd-gy. The science relating to bacteria. 

Ba-sil'ic. Vein of the arm used by embalmers for removing blood. 

Bi'ceps. Having two heads. 

BT-chld'ride. A compound consisting of two atoms of chlorine with one or more 
atoms of another element. 


DICTIONARY. 


215 


Bl-cip'i tab Relating to biceps muscle. 

Bl-cus'pid. Having two points or cusps. 

BI fur-ca'tion. Division into two parts. 

Bile. An animal fluid secreted by the liver. 

Bi-sect'. To divide into two equal parts. 

Blad'der. A reservoir for the urine. 

Bra/chi-al. Belonging to the arm, as the brachial artery. 

Brain. The organ of intellect, a part of the nervous system. 

Bron'chus; pi. Bron'chi. One of the sub-divisions cf the trachea. 

Bron'chi-al. Belonging to the bronchi, as the bronchial tubes. 

Biilb'ous. Having bulbs ; protuberant. 

c 

Ca-da'ver. A dead human body. 

Cas'cum. Commencement of large intestine. 

Cal-ca're-ous. Consisting of chalk or lime. 

Cal'ci-fi-ca'tion. The process of change into a bony substance. 

Ca-naB. A tubular passage. 

Can'cer. A malignant tumor. 

Cap'il-la-ry, from capillus, hair. The minute blood vessels connecting the arteries 
and veins. 

Cap'sule. A small membranous sac investing an organ. 

Car-boBic Ac'id. A crystalline substance. A disinfectant. 

Car'bon. A non-metallic elementary substance, widely diffused throughout the 
products of nature. 

Car-bon'ic Acid. An acid composed of one equivalent of carbon and two equiva¬ 
lents of oxygen. 

Car'di-ac. Belonging to, or connected with, the heart. 

Ca-rot'id. A term applied to the two principal arteries of the neck. 

Car'pus. The wrist, which is composed of eight bones arranged in two rows. 
Car'ti-lage. A smooth, solid, and elastic body, softer than a bone; gristle. 
Car-ti-lag'i-nous. Consisting of cartilages ; gristly. 

Cau'ter-ize. To sear or burn with a corroding substance. 

Cav'ern-ous. Full of caverns; hollow. 

Cav'i-ty. A hollow place. 

Cath'e-ter. Ah instrument for drawing urine. 

CeBlu-lar. Consisting of or containing cells. 

Ce-phal'ic. Relating to the head. 

Cer'e-bral. Relating to the brain. 

Cer'e-bro-spi'nal Cavity. Cavity containing the brain and spinal cord. 
Cer'e-brum. The larger and upper portion of the brain. 

Cer'e-bel'lum. Lower portion of brain. 

Cer'vi-cal. Belonging to the neck. 

Ces-sa'tion. The act of ceasing or stopping. 

Cham'ber. A cavity. 

Chlo'ride. A compound of chlorine and some other substance. 

Chlo'rine. A greenish-yellow, energetic gas. 


2 I 6 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


Chron'ic. Of long duration ; not acute. 

Chol'e-ra. A malignant disease, marked by vomiting and purging. 

Chyle. A milky fluid formed in the process of digestion. 

Cir'cle of Wil'lis. An anastomosis of the branches < f the internal carotid and 
vertebral arteries at the base of the brain. 

Cir-cii-la'tion. Moving in a circle, as of the blood. 

Cir'cii-la-to-ry. Circulating, or going around. 

Cer'vi-cal. Relating to the neck. 

Cir'cum-flex. Curved circularly; applied to several arteries of the hip, thigh, etc. 
Clav'i-cle. The collar-bone. 

Co-ag'u-late. To curdle; to clot. 

Coe'li-ac Ax'is. A short trunk artery, one half-inch long, arising from the front 
of the aorta, just below the diaphragm, dividing into the hepatic, gastric, 
and splenic arteries. 

Coc'cyx. A small bone at the end of the sacrum. 

Col-lapse'. To fall together; to shrink up. 

Col-lat'eral Cir-cu-la'tion. Circulation established through indirect or subordinate 
branches. 

Co'lon. That part of the large intestine from the caecum to the rectum. 
Com-plex'us. A muscle situated at the back part of the neck. 

Con-cus'sion. The shock or agitation of an organ by a fall or blow, as a concus¬ 
sion of the brain. 

Con'dyle (kon'dil). A bony process, round in one direction. 

Con'dy-loid. Shaped like or pertaining to a condyle. 

Con-ges'tion. An unnatural accumulation of blood in any part, as congestion of 
the lungs. 

Con'ic-al. Having the form of or resembling a cone. 

Con-stit'u-ent. That which constitutes or composes. 

Con-strict'ed. Drawn together; contracted. 

Con-strict'or. A muscle which contracts or closes an orifice. 

Con-ta'gion. The transmission of a disease from one person to another by direct 
or indirect contact. 

Con-ta'gious. Communicable by contact. 

Con-trac'tion. The act of drawing together or shrinking. 

Con-verge', do tend to one point; to incline and approach nearer together. 
Con'vex. Regularly protuberant or bulging. Opposed to concave. 

Con'vo-lu'tion. An irregular, tortuous folding of an organ or part, as the convo¬ 
lutions of the intestines. 

Cor'a-coid. Resembling a crow’s beak. 

Cbr'5-na-ry. Encircling. 

Corpse. A dead human body. 

Cor-'pu-lence. Excessive fatness ; fleshiness. 

Cor'pus Cal-16'sum. The great band of commissural fibres uniting the cerebral 
hemispheres. 

Cor'piis-cle. A protoplasmic animal cell; a minute particle. 

Cor-ro'sive. Having the power of gradually changing or destroying the texture 
or substance of a body. 


DICTIONARY. 


217 


Cos tal. I ertaining to the ribs or sides of the body, as costal cartilages, 
Cra'm-um. The skull. 

Cru'ral. Pertaining to the thigh or leg. 

Cu-ta'ne-ous. Belonging to the skin or cutis. 

Cii'ti-cle (ku'ti-kl). Outer skin or epidermis. 

Cii'tis. True skin. 

Cyst (sist). A membraneous sac, without opening, containing liquid. 
Cys'tic. Relating to cyst. 


D 

De-com-p5se'. Resolve into original elements ; to decay. 

De-gen'er-ate. To deteriorate; to change from a higher to a lower condition. 
De-gen-er-a'tion. Change of tissue from a higher to a lower form. 
Dem'on-strate. To do practical work ; to exhibit the parts of a subject. 

Dense. Compact; closely united. 

De-5'dor-ant. A chemical that destroys odors. 

Der'ma. True skin. 

Des'ic-cate. To become dry. 

Des-ic-ca'tion. The act of desiccating or making dry. 

Det'ri-ment. That which injures; injury. 

De-tri'trus. Worn-out substances reduced to small proportions. 

Di'a-phragm. The muscular wall between the thorax and abdomen. 

Dif-fuse'. To pour out and spread, as a liquid. 

Di gest'. To prepare for conversion into blood. 

Dig'i-tal. Pertaining to the fingers. 

Di late'. To expand ; opposed to contract. 

Di-ox'ide. An oxide containing but one equivalent of oxygen to two of a metal. 
Disc. A flat circular plate or surface. 

Dis-in'te-grate. To separate into parts. 

Dis sect'. To cut or divide for the purpose of examining. 

Dis-solve'. To separate into parts; to convert into liquid. 

Dis'tal. Remote from the place of attachment or the median line. 

Dor'sal. Pertaining to the back. 

Duct. A canal for conveying fluid. 

Du-o-de'num. The first division of the small intestines. 

Du'ra Ma'ter. The outer membrane of the brain. 


E 

Ef-fer-ves'cence. Commotion of a fluid ; bubbling. 

Ef-fete'. Worn out with age; exhausted. 

Em balm'. To preserve from decay. 

Em'bd-Hsm. The obstruction of a vessel by a clot of coagulated blood. 
Em'bd-lus. A clot of any substance lodged in a blood vessel. 
Em'bry-5'. The child in the womb before it becomes a foetus. 

En dar-ter-i'tis.- Inflammation of the arteries. 

En'si-form. Sword-shaped. 

En-ter'ic. Relating to the intestines. 


2l8 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


En-te-rl'tis. Inflammation of the intestines. 

Ep-i-dem'ic. A disease that prevails. 

Ep-i-der'mis. The cuticle or scarf skin. • 

Ep-i-gas'tric. Pertaining to the superior part of the abdomen, as the epigastric 


region. 

Ep-i-glot'tis. A cartilage which covers the aperture of the windpipe. 

Ep-i-the'lial. Pertaining to the cuticle which covers parts deprived of true skin. 
Er-y-sip'e-las. A disease characterized by inflammation of the skin, swelling, 
pain, and usually fever. 

Eth'moid. Resembling a sieve. A bone at the base of the skull. 

Eu-sta'chi-an Valve. A semi lunar valve separating the right auricle from the in¬ 
ferior vena cava. 

Ex-crete'. To separate and throw off, as by natural passages. 

Ex'cre-to-ry. Having the power of excreting. 

Ex-ten'sor. The muscle that extends a limb; opposed to flexor. 

Ex-trav-a-sa'tion. Forcing or being forced out of the proper vessels or ducts. 
Ex-trem'i-ties. Parts most remote from the middle. 

Ex-ude'. To pass through the pores. 


Fa'cial. Belonging to the face. 

Fas'ci-a. The layer of tissue immediately beneath the skin. 

Fem'o-ral. Belonging or relating to the thigh — “ femoral artery.” 

Fe'mur. The thigh bone. 

Fi'bre. A slender, thread-like substance. 

FT'bril. A very small fibre. 

Fl'brine. A white, tough, fibrous substance; the coagulum of the blood. 

Fib'u-la. The small, outer bone of the leg. 

Fis'sure. A groove or depression, as the fissure of the spleen. 

Flex'or. The muscle which bends the part or organ to which it is attached. 
Flex'ure. The form in which anything is bent — “the flexure of the joints.” 
Fldat'er. A term applied to a floating dead body. 

Foe'tus. The child in the womb after it is perfectly formed. 

Fo-ra'men. A small opening. An opening by which nerves or blood-vessels 
penetrate through bones. 

FSre'arm. That part of the arm between the elbow and the wrist. 
For-maPde-hyde. A colorless volatile liquid—H 2 CO ; a powerful disinfectant. 
For'mu-la. A prescription ; the mode of preparing medicines or mixing chemicals. 
Fossa. A small cavity or depression in a bone, with a large orifice. 

Front'al. Relating to the forehead. 

Function. The action of any special organ or part. 


G 

Gall. A bitter yellowish-green fluid secreted by the liver, and depositedin the 
gall-bladder ; the bile. 

Gan'grene. The first stage of mortification; death of a part, 

Gas'tric. Belonging to the stomach. 


DICTIONARY. 


219 


Ge-lat'i-nous. Having the nature of gelatine or jelly. 

Geu'er-at-ing. Producing. 

Gen'er-a-tive. Having the power of generating or producing. 

Germ. That from which anything is derived. 

Ges-ta'tion. The act of bearing the young in the womb; pregnancy. 

Gland. A soft body, the function of which is to secrete fluid. 

Glob'ule. A small globe-shaped particle of matter. 

Glob'u-lin. The principal constituent of the blood globules, closely allied to 
albumen. 

Groin. The line between the abdomen and thigh. 

H 

Hem'or-rhage. A flux of blood, as from the bursting of a vessel which contains it. 
Hem'or-rhoids. Tubercles around or within the anus; the piles. 

He-pat'ic. Belonging or relating to the liver. 

HPlum. The part of a gland or similar organ where the blood-vessels enter. 
Hunter’s Canal. A triangular space between three muscles of the leg. 
Hu'me-rus. The bone of the upper part of the arm. 

Hy'dro-cele. Dropsy of the testicle. 

Hy-dro-ceph'a-lus. A collection of water within the head; dropsy of the brain. 
Hy'dro-gen. A colorless, odorless, gaseous, element — the lightest known sub¬ 
stance. 

Hy'gi-ene. That department of sanitary science which treats of the preservation 
of health. 

Hy'oid. A tiny, arch-shaped bone at the root of the tongue. 

Hyp-o-chon'dri-ac. One who is morbidly melancholy or disordered in imagina¬ 
tion. 

Hyp-o-der'mic. Pertaining to the parts under the skin. 

Hyp-o-gas'tric. Seated in the lower part of the abdomen. 

I 

Il'e-iim. The last division of the small intestines. 

Il'e-ac. Relating to the ileum. 

Im-preg'nate. To fill. To cause to conceive. 

In-ci'sion. A cut. 

In-fect'. To taint with disease. 

In-fec'tious. Easily communicated ; contagious. 

In-fe'rior. Lower in place or importance. 

In-flam-ma'tion. A swelling and redness caused by excessive action of the blood, 
attended by heat and pain. 

In'gui-nal. Pertaining to the groin. 

In-nom'i-nate. Without a name ; unnamed. 

In-oc'u-late. To communicate a disease by inserting infectious matter in the 
skin or flesh. 

In-or-gan'ic. Not produced by vital action. 

In-os'cu-late. To cause to unite or grow together, 

In-so-la'tion, Sunstroke, 


220 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


In-teg'u-ment. A covering ; the skin. 
In-ter-cos'tal. Between or pertaining to the ribs. 
In-ter-mlt'tent. Ceasing at intervals. 
In-ter-os'se-ous. Situated between bones. 
In'ter-space. Intervening space. 

In-tes'tines. The bowels. 

In-tes'ti-num. (See intestines.) 

Is'chi-um. The hip bone. 


Jaun'dice. 

Je-ju'num. 

Ju'gu-lar. 

Junc'tion. 


J 

A disease in which the body becomes yellow. 
The middle division of the small intestine. 
Belonging to the throat or neck. 

Union; joint. 


L 

Lac'er-a-ted. Torn asunder. 

Lach'ry-mal (lak're-mal). Pertaining to or secreting tears. 

Lac'te-als. The vessels which convey chyle. 

Lac'tic. An acid, derived chiefly from sour milk. 

Lar'ynx. The organ of voice; Adam’s apple. 

Lat'er-al. Of or pertaining to the sides. 

Le'sion. A rupture or tearing of the flesh ; a wound. 

Lig'a-ment. A tough band of fibrous tissue uniting bones or retaining organs in 
place. 

Llg'a-ture. A thread for tying blood-vessels to prevent hemorrhage. 

Lin'e-ar. Pertaining to a line. 

Lin'gual. Of or pertaining to the tongue. 

L!q'ue-fy. To become liquid. 

L5be. A round projecting part of an organ. 

Lon'gi-tud'i-nal. Extending in length ; running lengthwise. 

Lon'gus. Long. 

Lum'bar. Pertaining to the loins. 

Lymph (limf). A whitish fluid contained in the lymphatic vessels. . 
Lym-phat'ics. Fine tubes pervading the body; absorbents. 

M 

Mag-ne'si-um (mag-ne'zhi-um). The undecomposable metallic base of magnesia. 
Ma'lar. Pertaining to the cheek or to the malar bone. 

Ma-la'ri-a. Bad or infected air. 

Ma-la'ria Fe'ver. Fever caused by malaria. 

Ma-lig'nant. Threatening a fatal issue; virulent. 

Mal-le'o-liis. One of the projections of the bones of the leg at the ankle joint. 
Mas'toid. Shaped like the nipple or breast. 

Mas'toid Proc'ess. Protuberance of the temporal bone behind the ear. 

Max-U'la. A jaw bone. 

Max'il-lary. Pertaining to the jaw; properly, restricted to the upper jaw. 


DICTIONARY. 


221 


Mea sles (me-zlz). A contagious, eruptive disorder, commencing with catarrhal 
symptoms. 

Me'di-an. In the middle. 

Me'di-an Line. An imaginary line dividing the body longitudinally. 
Me-di-as-ti'num. Space in the middle of the chest between the pleurae. 

Me-diil'la. Marrow. 

Me-dul la Ob'lon-ga/ta (ob-long-ga'tah). The upper portion of the spinal cord. 
Mem'brane. A thin tissue, serving to cover some part of the body or to absorb 
or secrete fluids. 

Mem-bra'ne-ous, 

Mem'bra-nous. 


| Consisting of or relating to membrane. 

Mer'cu-ry. A metal, white like silver. 

Mes'en-ter'ic. Pertaining to the mesentery. 

Mes'en-ter-y. A fold of peritoneum, retaining the intestines in a proper position. 
Met-a-car'pal. Belonging to that part of the hand between the wrist and the 
fingers. 

Met-a-tar'sal. Belonging to that part of the foot between the ankle and the toes. 
Met-a-mor'pho-sis. Change of form or structure. 

Mi-cro-coc'cus (kok'kus), pi. Micrococci (si). A species of bacteria shaped like 
dumb-bells, or in the form of oval cells forming chains of cells. 
Mi'cro-or'gan-ism. A minute organism. 

Mln'er-al. Any inorganic species having a definite chemical composition. 

Ml-tral. Shaped like a mitre, or having two points. 

Mol'e-cule. The smallest particle of matter that can exist alone. 

Mor'bid. Not sound and healthful; diseased. 

Morgue (morg). Place where unknown dead are kept for recognition. 

Mor'phine. An alkaloid of opium. 

Mor'tal. Subject to death. Human. 

Mor-ti-fi-ca'tion. The death of one part of the body while the rest continues to 
live; gangrene. 

Mouth. An opening. The superior portion of the alimentary canal. 

Mu'cous. Pertaining to or resembling mucus. 

Mu'cus. A viscid fluid secreted by the mucous membrane, which it serves to 
moisten. 

Mu-ri-at'ic. Pertaining to, or obtained from, sea salt. 

Mus'cles (miis'sls). Organs of motion ; the lean meat of the body. 

Mus'cu-lar. Pertaining to or consisting of muscle. Strong. 

My-o'sin. The clot formed in the coagulation of muscle plasma. 

Myrrh (mer). A transparent juice which exudes from the bark of an Arabian 
shrub. 

N 


Nar-cot'ic. A medicine producing sleep. 

Na'sal. Pertaining to the nose. 

Na/tron. The native carbonate of soda. 

Na'vel. A mark in the centre of the lower part of the abdomen. 

Nerve. One of the bundles of fibres which establish communication between 
nerve centres and various parts of the body. 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


222 

Nerv'ous. Pertaining to or seated in the nerves. 

Ni'trate. A salt of nitric acid. 

Ni'tric Ac'id. A powerful corrosive acid. 

Ni'tre. A chemical, called also saltpetre. 

Ni'tro-gen. A gaseous element, forming nearly four-fifths of common air. 
Nor'mal. According to rule; regular. 

Nu'cle-a-ted. Gathered about a nucleus or centre. 

Nu'cle-us. A central mass or point about which matter is gathered. 

Nu'tri-ent. Any substance which nourishes. Nourishing. 

Nu'tri-ment. Anything which promotes growth and repairs waste. 

Nu-tri'tion. That which nourishes. The process by which growth is promoted and 
waste repaired. 

o 

Ob-struc'tion. The act of stopping or closing up. An obstacle; a hindrance. 
Oc-cip'i-tal. Pertaining to the back part of the head. 

(E-de'ma. Dropsy of a part. 

CE-soph'a-gus. The passage through which food and drink pass to the stomach. 
O-men'tum. A fold of peritoneum, covering the bowels and attached to the 
stomach. 

O-paque' (o-pak'). Not transparent; dark. 

Op-er-a'tion. An act performed with the hand or with instruments on the body. 
Or-bic'ii-lar. Circular. 

Or-bic-u-la'ris. A circular muscle. 

Or'gan. A part of the body having a special function. 

Or-gan'ic. Pertaining to an organ or its functions; consisting of organs. 
Or'gan-ism. A being endowed with, or composed of, organs. 

Or'i-fice (or'i-fis). An opening. 

Os; pi. Ossa. A bone. 

Os-md'sis. The tendency in fluids to pass through animal membranes. 

Os'sa In-nom'in-a'ta. The hip bones. 

Os'se-ous. Composed of bone ; bony. 

Os-si-fi-ca'tion. The change into a bony substance. 

O-va'ri-an. Of or relating to the ovary. 

O'va-ry. The sexual gland of the female, in which the ova or eggs are found. 

Ox'ide. A compound of oxygen and an element or radical. 

Ox'y-gen. A gaseous element without taste, color, or smell, forming about twenty- 
two per cent of atmosphere. 

Ox'y-gen-a'ted. Combined with oxygen. 


P 

Pal'ate. The roof of the mouth, consisting of the hard and the soft palate. 

Palm. The inner part of the hand, from wrist to fingers. 

Pal'mar. Of or relating to the palm. 

Pan'cre-as. A whitish, irregular shaped gland, situated deep in the abdomen, behind 
the stomach. 

Lan-cre-at'ic, Pertaining to the pancreas, 


DICTIONARY. 


223 


Pa-ral'y-sis. Complete or partial loss of voluntary motion. 

Pa-ri'e-tal. Pertaining to the bones forming the sides and upper part of the skull, 
like walls. 

Pa-rot'id. The salivary gland situated nearest the ear. Pertaining to the parotid. 
Par'ox-ysm. The attack of a disease that occurs at intervals. A fit. 

Pas'sage. Way or course, 

Pa-tel'la. The knee-pan. 

Path-o-gen'ic. Productive of diseases. 

Pa-thol'o-gy. The science which treats of diseases. 

Pec'to-ral. Pertaining to the breast or chest. 

Pe'des. Plural of pes , the foot. 

Pel'vic. Pertaining to the pelvis. 

Pel'vis. The basin formed by the innominate bones and the sacrum. 

Pel-lu-'cid. Clear but not transparent. 

Per-i-car-dl'tis. Inflammation of the pericardium. 

Per-i-car'dI-um (per-e-kar'-de-umj. The membranous sac enclosing the heart. 
Pe-riph'er-al. External ; around the outside of an organ. 

Per-i-to-ne'al. Pertaining to the peritoneum. 

Per-i-to-ne'um. A serous membrane, investing the internal surface of the abdomen 
and the viscera contained therein. 

Per-i-to-nPtis. Inflammation of the peritoneum. 

Per-man'ga-nate. A salt of permanganic acid. 

Per'me-ate. To penetrate or pass through. 

Pha-lan'ges. The small bones of the fingers and toes. 

Pha-ryn'ge-al. Belonging to, or connected with, the pharynx. 

Phar'ynx (far'inks). The upper part of the throat. 

Phe-nom'e-non. Something remarkable or unusual. 

Phos'phor-iis. A nearly colorless, combustible, non-metallic element, resembling 
fine wax. 

Phren'ic (fren-ik). Belonging to the diaphragm. 

Phys'ic-al (fiz'ik-al). Pertaining to nature ; obeying the laws of nature. 

Pi'a ma'ter. The vascular membrane immediately investing the brain. 

Pig'ment. Coloring matter. 

Pi'si-form. Having the form and nearly the size of a pea. 

Pit. An indenture in the flesh. The mark left on the flesh by a pustule of the 
smallpox. 

Pit of stomach. The hollow of the stomach. Portion of the abdomen above the 
waist or belly. 

Pla-cen'ta. The soft, vascular disk which connects the mother with the child in the 
womb, and through which the foetus respires and draws nourishment. 

Pla-cen'tal. Pertaining to the placenta. 

Plan'tar. Pertaining to the sole of the foot. 

Plas'ma. The colorless fluid of the blood. 

Plas'ter of Paris. Calcined gypsum or sulphate of lime. Otherwise improperly 

applied. . 

Pleu'ra. The serous membrane which lines the thorax and invests the lungs. 

Pleu'ral. Relating to the pleurae. Pleural cavities, 

Pleu'ri-sy. Inflammation of the pleura, 


224 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


Plex'us. A network of vessels, nerves, or fibres. 

Pneii'mo-coc'cus. A germ believed to cause pneumonia. 

Pneu-m5'ni-a. Inflammation of the lungs. 

Pock Mark. The mark left by a pustule. 

Pons Varolii (Lat. pons , a bridge). Part of the brain. 

Pop-lit'e-al. Pertaining to the posterior part of the knee-joint. 

Pop-lit'e-us. A muscle in the back and lower portion of the thigh. 

Port'al. Pertaining to the porta or gateway of the liver ; as, the portal vein. 
Pos-te'ri-or. Behind in position. 

Post-mor tern. After death. 

Pou'part’s Lig'a-ment. A ligament extending from the spine of the ileum to the pubis. 
Preg'nan-cy. The state of being pregnant. 

Preg'nant. With child. 

Proc'ess. A protuberance or projecting part of any surface, usually a bone. 
Pro-fun'da. A name applied to an artery. 

Pro-na'tor. A muscle which serves to turn the palm of the hand downward ; op¬ 
posed to supinator. 

Pro-sec'tor. A person who prepares a cadaver for lectures and demonstrations. 
Pro'teids. Albuminoid compounds. 

Pro'to-plasm. The material in cells. 

Pro-tu'ber-ance. A swelling or prominence. 

Pu'bes. The anterior part of the pelvis. 

Pu'bic. Pertaining to the pubes. 

Pu'bis. The anterior part of one of the hip bones. 

Pu-er'per-al. Pertaining to childbirth. 

Pul'mo-na-ry. Pertaining to the lungs. 

Pfilse. The beating of the heart or a blood-vessel, especially of an artery. 

Punct'ure. The act of perforating with a pointed instrument; to pierce. 

Pii'pil. The small opening in the center of the iris. 

Purging. Cleansing or purifying by the removal of that which is impure or foreign. 
A term used by embalmers to signify the escape of fluid matter from the stomach 
or lungs of a dead body. 

Pur'pu-ra. A disease characterized by livid spots on the skin, pain in the limbs, etc. 
Pu'ru-lent. Containing pus. 

Pus. A yellowish, creamy fluid, caused by inflammation. 

PusEule. An inflamed elevation of the cuticle containing pus. 

Pu-tre-fac'tion. Decomposition ; offensive decay. 

Pu'trid. Decomposed or decayed ; foul smelling. 

Py-e'mi-a. A dangerous disease, caused by poisonous matters of pus mingling with 
the blood. 

I 

Py-lor'ic. Pertaining to the pylorus. 

Py-15'rus. The opening in the stomach through which the food passes to the small 
intestines. 

Q 

Quar'an-tine (kwor-an-teen). The period, originally of forty days, during which 
those occupying infected apartments are forbidden all outside intercourse, 
Quar'an-tine'. To put under quarantine. 

Quiz. An informal examination, 


DICTIONARY. 


225 


Ra'di-al. 

Rad'i-cal. 

Ra'di-us. 

Ram'i-fy. 

Rec'tum. 


R 


Pertaining to the radius. 

Reaching to the center or foundation. An element. 

The long bone on the thumb side of the forearm. 

To divide into branches. 

The last part of the large intestines. 

Re'gion (re'jun). A particular portion of the body. 

Re-gur'gi-tate. To return or flow back. 

Re'nal. Pertaining to the kidneys. 

Res'er-voir' (rez'er-vwor'). A place where anything is kept in store. 

Res-pi-ra'tion. The act of breathing. 

Re-spir'a-to-ry. Pertaining to respiration. 

Ret'i-na. The innermost coat of the eye, formed by the expansion of the optic nerve, 
which receives the impressions resulting in the sense of vision. 

Rheu'ma-tism. A painful inflammation affecting the muscles and joints. 

Rig'or Mor tis. Rigidity of a body after death. 

Rop'y. Stringy ; adhesive ; viscous. 

Rupt'ure. The act of breaking or bursting. The state of being broken or parted. 


s 

Sac'cu-la'ted. Furnished with little sacs. 

Sa'crum. A bone in the lower portion of the back. 

Sa-ll'va. A transparent liquid secreted by the salivary glands. 

Salts. Magnesium sulphate. 

San'i-ta-ry. Pertaining to, or designed to secure, health. 

San-i-ta'tion. Act of putting in a healthy condition. 

Sa-phe'na. One of the two subcutaneous veins of the lower limb and foot. 
Sa-phe'-nous. The two principal superficial veins of the lower limbs. 

Sar-t5'ri-us. The muscle reaching from above the hip to below the knee, which 
serves to throw one leg across the other; sometimes called the “tailor’s muscle.” 
Scal'pel. A small surgical knife with a convex edge. 

Scap'u-la. The shoulder-blade. 

Scar-la-ti'na. See scarlet fever. 

Scar'let Fe'ver. A contagious disease, characterized by a scarlet rash. 

Scarpa’s Tri'an-gle. A triangle, formed by Poupart’s ligament above, sartorius mus¬ 
cles on the outside, and the adductor longus on the inside. 

Scrb'tal. Pertaining to the scrotum. 

Scrb'tum. The sac which contains the testes. 

Se-cre'tion. The process by which material is separated from the blood. 
Sem'Mu'nar. Resembling in form a half moon. 

Separating Membrane. A membranous partition. 

Sep'tic. Able to promote putrefaction. A substance that promotes putrefaction. 
Sep-ti-ce'mia. Blood poisoning. 

Sep'turn, pi. Sep'ta. A partition separating two cavities. 

Se'rous. Pertaining to serum ; thin ; watery. 

Se'rum. A fluid often found in the serous cavities. * 

Sheath (sheth). A thin covering. 


226 


THE PRACTICAL EMBALMER. 


Sig'moid. Curved like the letter S. 

Sigmuid flexure. The last curve of the colon, followed by the rectum. 

Si-nus. A venous channel into which several vessels empty, especially those of the 
dura mater. 

Skel'e-ton. The bony framework of the body. 

Slip. A long, narrow piece. 

Small'pox. A malignant disease, characterized by pustular eruptions. 

So'di um. A yellowish, metallic, waxy element, lighter than water. 

Soft'en-ing. Becoming less hard. 

Sd-lu'tion. A liquid containing dissolved solids. 

Solv'ent. A fluid that dissolves any substance. Able to dissolve. 

Spe'cies (spe'shez). A certain class or variety of things or beings. 

Spe-cif'ic. Pertaining to a species. Definite. 

Sper-mat'ic. Pertaining to the semen. 

Sphac'e-lus. The gangrenous part. 

Sphe'noid, \ Resembling a wedge. The sphenoid bone is at the base of the skull 
Sphe-noid'al. ) on the median line. 

Spine. The back-bone or spinal column. 

Spi'nal. Pertaining to the spine. 

Spinal Canal. The canal extending through the spinal column, containing the spinal 
cord. 

Spinal Column. The back-bone, formed by the connected vertebrae. 

Spleen. A ductless oval organ, situated above the left kidney and under the stomach 
Splen'ic. Relating to the spleen. 

Spu' turn, pi. Spii'ta. Matter which is expectorated or spit from the mouth. 

Ster-i!e. Unfruitful ; producing no young. 

Stei'il-ize. To make sterile. 

Stern'al. Pertaining to the sternum. 

Ster'num. A flat bone on the median line of the chest in front. 

Steth'o-scope. An instrument for judging the condition of the heart and lungs by 
the sounds within the chest. 

Stom'ach (stiim-ak). The third division of the alimentary canal, of excessive di¬ 
gestive power, due to the action of the gastric juice. 

Strict'ure (strikUyur). A morbid contraction. 

Stroke. A sudden attack of disease. 

Structure (struct'yur). The construction or arrangement of parts. 

Sub-cla'vi-an. Situated under the clavicle or collar-bone. 

Sub-cu-ta'ne-ous. Situated under the skin. 

Sub'li-mate. A substance produced by being vaporized and again condensed. 
Sub-scap'u-lar. Beneath the scapula. 

Siu'cu-lent. Juicy; opposed to hard and dry. 

Sul'phate. A salt formed by a combination of sulphuric acid and a base. 

Siil'phur. A simple mineral substance used for fumigating. 

Sul'phur-ous. Containing sulphur. 

Sulphurous Acid. An acid of sulphur, having three atoms of oxygen in a molecule 

(H 2 SOs). 

Su-per-fi'cial (su'per-fish'al). Near the surface. 

Su-pe'ri-or. Higher; situated above. 


DICTIONARY. 


227 


Su'pi-na'tor. A muscle that turns the palm of the hand upward. 

Su'pra or Sii'per. A prefix, signifying above, over, or beyond. 

Sut'ure (sut'yur). A line formed by the union of two parts ; a seam. The sutures 
of the skull are the seams or joints which unite the bones. 

Syn'cd-pe. Fainting ; an apparent pause in the action of the heart, lungs, brain, etc. 
Sym'phy-sis. The union of bones by an immovable joint. 

Syph'i-lis. An infectious venereal disease. 

Sys'tem. Parts methodically arranged to form a whole, and having a connected func¬ 
tion, as the digestive system. The entire body. 

Sys-tem'ic. Belonging to the whole body. 

T 

Ton-sil-i'tis. Inflammation of the tonsils. 

Tort'u-ous. Winding ; twisted. 

Tra r che-a. The wind-pipe. 

Tran-su-da'tion. The act of passing through, as through the pores. 

Trans-verseh Lying across or in a crosswise direction. 

Tra-pe zi-us. A muscle of the back, whose action is to draw the head backward. 
Trib'u-ta-ry. Subordinate ; serving to form a greater object of the same kind, as a 
branch. 

Tri'ceps. A three-headed muscle of the arm, whose action is to extend the fore¬ 
arm. 

Trl-cus'pid. Having three cusps or points. 

True Skin. A term often applied to the cutis. 

Trunk. The body apart from the head and limbs. 

Tu'ber-cle. A small projection, or mass of diseased matter, often found in the lungs. 
Tu-ber'-cu-lous. Having or pertaining to tubercles. 

ru-ber-cu-lo'sis. A disease caused by the tuberculous bacteria ; consumption. 
Tii'bu-lar. Having the form of a tube or pipe. 

Tu'mor. A morbid swelling or growth. 

Tur'bi-na-ted. Shaped like an inverted cone. 

Ty'phoid. Of or pertaining to typhus. 

Typhoid fever. Like typhus of a low grade. 

Ty'phus. A continuous fever lasting from two to three weeks, and attended with 
brain disorder. 

Tap'ping. Piercing a cavity so as to let out or draw off fluid or gas. 

Tar'sal. Pertaining to the ankle. 

Tern po-ral. Pertaining to the temple or temples. 

Ten'di-nous. Of, or pertaining to, a tendon. 

Tension. A strong, glistening, fibrous cord, attaching a muscle to a bone. Some¬ 
times written tendo, when used as a part of a compound word. 

Tes'ti-cle, pi. test'es. One of the glands which secrete the seminal fluid in males. 
Tho-rac'ic. Of or relating to the thorax. 

Tho'rax. That portion of the trunk between the neck and diaphragm, the cavity of 
which is occupied mainly by the lungs and heart; the chest. 

Throm-bo'sis. The formation of a thrombus. 

Throm'bus. A clot of blood. 


228 


THE PRACTICAL EMRALMER. 


Thy'roid. Resembling a shield. The thyroid cartilage is popularly called “ Adam’s 
apple.” 

Tibfi-a. The shin-bone, larger than the fibula. 

TR/i-al. Pertaining to the tibia. 

Tis'sue. The texture of which any part of the body is composed. 

Ton'sils. Small, glandular organs in the throat, one on each side, close to the internal 
carotid artery. 

Tor'cu-lar He-roph'i-li. A depression in the occipital bone, formed by the junction 
of six cranial sinuses. 

u 

Ul-cer-a'tion. The formation of an ulcer. 

Ul'na (uPnah). The larger of the two bones of the forearm. 

UPnar. Pertaining to the ulna. 

Um-biPic-al. Pertaining to the umbilicus or navel. 

Umbilical Cord. A cord-like substance connecting the placenta of the mother to the 
navel of the foetus. 

Um-bi-lPcus. A mark caused by the detachment of the umbilical cord after birth ; 
the navel. 

U-re'ter. The tube conveying the urine from the kidney to the bladder. There are 
two ureters, one on each side. 

U-re'thra. The canal through which the urine passes from the bladder. 

Uhine. The fluid secreted by the kidneys and discharged by the bladder. 

U'ter-ine. Pertaining to the uterus or womb. 

U'te-rus. A hollow, pear-shaped, muscular organ, situated in the pelvic cavity, 
between the bladder and the rectum, in which the foetus is conceived and 
nourished. 

V 

Vac ; ci-nate. To inoculate with the cow-pox. 

Vac-ci-na/tion. The act of vaccinating. 

Vac'u-um. Space empty or devoid of all matter or body. 

Va-gPna. The canal leading from the external orifice to the womb. 

Valve. A membranous partition within the cavity of a vessel, which opens to allow 
the passage of fluid and shuts to prevent its regurgitation. 

Var'i-cdse. Swollen or enlarged. 

Va/ri-o-loid. A modified form of small-pox; as modified by previous vaccination. 
Vas'cu-lar. Consisting of, or containing, vessels. 

Vein (van). A vessel receiving the blood from the capillaries and returning it to 
the heart. 

Ve'na. A vein. 

Ve-ne're-al. Arising from sexual intercourse. 

Ve'nous. Of or pertaining to veins. 

Ven'tri-cle. A cavity ; especially the lower cavities of the heart. 

Ven-tric'u-lar. Of or pertaining to a ventricle. 

Ver'mi-form. Shaped like a worm. 

Vermiform Appendix. A blind pouch projecting from the caecum. 

Ver’te-bra, pi. ver’te-brae. One of the bones of the spinal column. 


DICTIONARY. 


229 


VeCte-bral. Of or pertaining to the vertebra;. 

Yer'tex. The highest point. 

Vir'u-lent. Extremely poisonous. 

Vi rus. Poisonous matter. 

Vis'ce-ra, pi. of viscus. Organs of the body. Contents of the great cavities. 
Vis'cer-al. Of or pertaining to the viscera. 

Vis'cid. Sticky. 

Vol'un-ta-ry. Regulated by the will. 

Vo'mer. A slender, thin bone separating the nostrils. 

w 

Wind'pipe. The trachea. 

Womb (woom). The uterus, where the child is conceived and nourished. 


Y 


Yellow Fever. A malignant disease of warm climates. 


Zyme (zim) A ferment. 


z 


ERRATA. 

The following typographical errors have been made : 

In several places the word “ ileum ” has been misspelled. 

On page 39, the word “ zEsophageal” appearing in a sub-heading 
should be spelled “ (Esophageal . ” 

On page no, second line from the top, the word “yyme” should be 
“ zyme.” 

On page 129, the sub-heading “Pupura” should be “Purpura” 

On page 131, the word appearing in the sub-heading “ Pyema ” should 


be “ Premia.” 

































































